Naruto: Nine and Seven
by X009
Summary: Taking his three year training trip with Jiraiya seriously, watch as Naruto rises to become the hero he was always meant to be and shares his destiny with one who knows his pain.
1. Chapter 1

**Author note, please read.**

**Hey, this is X009 here with a new story. It's been a long time, over a year actually, since I've written anything. To those who read my other story, a Bleach story called 'Shattered Fates' I apologize for going so long with no updates. A virus forced me to stop writing and by the time it was fixed, I had lost inspiration and Canon events had messed up a lot of my plot. For example, when I started writing, I hadn't expected Aizen to kill Harribel when she was still putting up a good fight. I finally feel inspired to write again, but not that story. I will get back to it eventually.**

**Anyway, here's my new story. It's a Naruto x Fu story starting when Naruto and Jiraiya leave Konoha. I will be ignoring most anime events in favor of the manga, with the exception of Taki, since it was never shown in the manga, anime exclusive jutsu and two other locations. I hope you like it. Please review and give any advice and suggestions and no flames. Also, I would like to thank Naruhinasakufan1 for his help.**

**I do not own Naruto.**

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><p>It had been two weeks since Naruto left Konoha with Jiraiya. They were traveling down a road in the land of fire and the next town was in sight, but then Jiraiya suddenly walked off the path and towards a nearby lake and Naruto followed.<p>

Naruto was a bit on the short side for his age at 4'8" (and easily angered by this fact), with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes. He was wearing an orange tracksuit with blue shoulders, a white swirl with a tassel on the left side and a red swirl on the back, the symbol of the destroyed Uzushiogakure. He also wore a blue forehead protector of Konoha and blue standard shinobi sandals.

Jiraiya was a tall man of about 6'3" with extremely long spiky white hair tied in a ponytail with two shoulder length bangs and had two red lines that ran down from his eyes. He wore a green shirt kimono with matching pants over mesh armor and a red cloak with two yellow spots along with a black belt, hand guards, traditional geta sandals, a horned forehead protector with the kanji for oil and kept a large scroll on his back.

"So, why are we going to this place Pervy Sage, and when are you going to train me? All we've been doing is walking." Naruto asked as they continued to walk. Naruto had wondered when his real training was going to begin, he'd just been going over the basics and he was anxious to learn some cool, new technique from the Sannin.

"Damn it brat, how many times have I told you not to call me that?" The Sannin asked, exasperated. Though it was hard tell if he was annoyed at being called a pervert in public, or if the self proclaimed super-pervert was annoyed at being called a 'regular' pervert.

"I call them as I see them." the blonde replied while crossing his arms. "If you want me to stop calling you that stop spending all your time peeking on women." Said Naruto as he looked at the man.

"Huh, kids these days… we'll get started as soon as I'm done with my contact in this town, you need to learn to be patient. Your lack of it and hotheadedness could get you killed someday." Jiraiya said. "Anyway, for today, I want you to practice water walking and holding leaves to your body with your chakra, your chakra controls still not what it could be. You need to master your chakra in order to form the Rasengan perfectly."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about! You haven't taught me anything since we left and I already know the Rasengan!"

"Would you listen to your teacher, although it's true you can use Rasengan, you have far from mastered it. You still need a shadow clone to control the rotation and shape." Jiraiya said while holding out his hand. Naruto watched as a Rasengan formed in his palm. "A battle can go to hell in an instant and your method takes more time, time you might not have. On top of that you waste chakra in the shadow clones. While you have an overabundance of chakra, that doesn't mean you should waste it." Jiraiya explained with a frown. Naruto looked to the ground in thought before quickly turning his head.

"Tch, fine." Naruto scoffed.

"Stay here and practice, don't worry, I'll start teaching you soon enough." The Sannin said as the reached the lake. "Good luck kid." Jiraiya waved at Naruto as he walked towards the town.

"Hm, lazy perv, can't even stay and help me for a while, bet he'll go straight to a brothel when he's done, if he even does have a contact to meet." Naruto grumbled as he walked on to the lake and begun to practice his chakra control.

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><p>Three hours later, Naruto was standing at the on the lake making a hand sign to focus his chakra and holding 5 leaves to his body with chakra with a somewhat somber expression on his face. He had, for awhile, moved and practiced taijutsu while doing still keeping the leaves attached, but this was much more difficult and at the moment he was resting.<p>

Since he began his training two weeks ago, his chakra control had improved a little, but he was still no where near having enough control to form a Rasengan without one of his clones to rotate the chakra and maintain its shape.

As he stood there, his mind wandered and he recalled every fight he had been in. Every major fight he had been in he had won either by using the Kyuubi or by luck. His fight against Haku, Orochimaru, Neji, Gaara (though Naruto thought that didn't really count, as Gaara had relied on the Shukaku) and Sasuke, he had tried to fight them with everything he had and when it wasn't enough, he had relied on the Kyuubi. His other major fights, against Kiba and Kabuto, which he did win on his own were either due to dumb luck (though the Five Pronged Seal had been messing with his chakra control at the time) or because he was underestimated and toyed with.

'_Damn it, what have I been doing all this time?_' he thought to himself as he stared at his reflection in the water and continued to review all the battles he had fought. Then he recalled his battle against Itachi and Kisame, if you could call what had happened a fight. He recalled how Kisame's sword literally ate his chakra. The Kyuubi's chakra was useless against him. He knew he couldn't rely on it all the time, that event just proved it. That power was dangerous, he remembered with a slight shudder the bloodlust he felt the when he used it against Haku. How he had nearly killed the androgynous teen in rage and thirst for blood. That power was a last resort and it carried many risks at the moment. He thought of both his senseis and the five Hokage, five of them didn't even have bloodlines and they were still some of the most powerful shinobi Konoha had ever produced. Looking up with a new determination, he realized that if he truly wanted to accomplish his dream and become the greatest Hokage, he would need to be strong enough to fight opponents like the Akatsuki without relying on the Kyuubi.

He stopped supporting the leaves and ran towards the town, sure that after all this time, Jiraiya had finished with his contact and was probably enjoying himself at a bar or something. He created a dozen shadow clones and sent them to look for the toad sage while he did the same. Ten minutes later he was hopping across the buildings of the town when he suddenly remembered seeing him in a bar, surrounded by women.

"Why am I not surprised? Hey, wait a minute… how did I know that?"

Naruto proceeded to run to the bar to see if what he saw was true and sure enough, found him at the bar, surrounded by girls. With a sigh, Naruto decided to ask him about this later and for now grab a snack and get back to training. He didn't notice Jiraiya saw him and smiled, he had noticed the shadow clone and suspected Naruto now knew about, or at least suspected, their memory transfer ability. He had wanted Naruto to realize it on his own.

"What are you looking at sir?" One of the women asked.

"Hm? Oh, nothing, now let's get back to having a good time! HAHAHAHA!"

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><p>Two hours later Jiraiya finally returned to the lake where Naruto had resumed training and found him fighting a shadow clone on the lake while holding several leaves to his body with chakra. Naruto just blocked a high kick from his clone with his forearms when they noticed Jiraiya's presence and stop their fight, the clone dispelling as Naruto ran over.<p>

"Finally! I was wondering when you would finally get out of that bar, Pervy Sage." Naruto said.

"Yeah, I noticed you saw me there, when you left I didn't think you had a problem with letting me have my fun." Jiraiya replied with a smirk.

"Of course there's a problem! Your supposed to be training me, but so far you've been spending all your time peeking or at bars and leaving me to work by myself!"

"That's not true, I haven't spent all my time with the ladies. I just wanted to unwind a bit after I finished with my contacts."

"Oh yeah? Then what was so important that you needed to go off in the first place?"

"Oh, nothing you need to worry about." Truth was Jiraiya had met a contact for any new information on Akatsuki and the other Jinchuriki, but he didn't think Naruto needed to know that, or at least not at the moment. "Anyway, it's getting late. Let's call it a night and I can start training you tomorrow." The Sannin said, gesturing towards the town.

"Alright" Naruto replied, not entirely trusting he wouldn't be blown off again. "But first, I noticed something about my shadow clones. When I sent them to find you, I think I remembered what my clone saw when it found you and dispelled."

"Huh, so you did finally notice." Jiraiya grinned. "I was wondering when you would."

"Wait, you knew about this the whole time? Did Kakashi-sensei know? Why didn't anyone tell me?" Naruto asked surprised.

"I didn't tell you because I wanted you to find out on your own. Like I said when you were learning the Rasengan you need to learn to depend on yourself. As for Kakashi, he probably didn't tell you because he was focused on Sasuke." Jiraiya said with a frown, becoming serious. Naruto looked at the ground dejectedly at the mention of Kakashi favoring Sasuke, noticing this, Jiraiya decided to explain. "Kakashi didn't favor Sasuke, he focused on him for two reasons. The first is a childhood friend he had who was an Uchiha, so he may have felt he owed the clan." Jiraiya explained and Naruto looked up at him, surprised to learn something about his sensei's past. "It's his story to tell so I won't speak of it any further, the second reason is that he could tell Sasuke was heading down a dark path and was trying to save him. But as you can tell, it didn't work." Jiraiya explained. Naruto, for once, seemed deep in thought, talking about Sasuke reminded him of something.

"Hey, Pervy Sage." Naruto said quietly.

"Hm?"

"Why did you tell me to forget Sasuke just before we left?"

"…I didn't want you to end up like me." Jiraiya said. Naruto looked at him curiously, not understanding and noticed a look of sorrow on his face. "Believe it or not, when we were kids, Orochimaru and I had a similar relationship as you and Sasuke." He explained much to Naruto's shock. "He was the genius of our generation and I saw him as a rival and a friend. When he betrayed the village, I chased after him, but no matter how hard I tried to save him, I couldn't and after a few years, I realized the friend I once had was no more. Even if their reasons are different, Sasuke craves power, just like Orochimaru. I didn't want you to waste your time chasing after him, only to fail and realize years down the line it was hopeless from the start. Some people just can't be helped." Jiraiya explained and Naruto took on a pensive expression. "Anyway, let's head back, tomorrow your training really begins, you'll need all the sleep you can get."

"Alright. Hey, Pervy Sage, can the Shadow Clone Jutsu help my training?"

"Hm" Jiraiya placed his hand on his chin "Yeah, it could. With it, you could learn the different aspects of being a shinobi quickly, but there are risks."

"Risks? What risks?"

"I'll explain tomorrow, now come on." Jiraiya said as he turned towards the town and gestured for Naruto to follow him.

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><p>The next day, Naruto and Jiraiya returned to the clearing.<p>

"Okay Naruto, listen up. When a shadow clone dispels, everything they experience and learn is transferred to the user. Because of this, the jutsu is ideal for spying, you could send a clone to infiltrate enemy lands and all they learn will be transferred to the user. But it can also be used for training, in addition to learning; experience gained is multiplied by the number of clones used. Got all that and how it's useful for training?"

"Well…" Naruto trails off. Jiraiya sighs.

"We're going to have to work on that. Okay, think of it this way, if a shadow clone were to learn a new jutsu , when it dispels, the knowledge will be transferred to you and you will learn the jutsu, any better?"

"Yeah, I got it! With this I can learn a lot of jutsu really fast." Naruto exclaimed exited

"hehehe…That's right. But not only that, you could also have them work on chakra control and improving your taijutsu, or learn anything they read. If you train with ten shadow clones in one subject, you'll reach your goal in one/tenth the time. However, you'll have to increase your physical strength yourself and there are risks." Jiraiya explained.

"Like what, Pervy Sage?"

"Mental stress is carried over too, gaining too much experience and stress at once can cause damage to the users mind, for that reason, lets stick to 50 clones for now. Originally, I had planned on training you with the Nine-Tails chakra, but let's put that off for now. For now, I want you to put thirty of those shadow clones on chakra control and I'll have one of my shadow clones help the others improve on taijutsu." Jiraiya said as he created a shadow clone and thought of how this will change his plans.

"Alright!" Naruto cried out as he made a familiar hand sign and soon 50 clones appeared. About a minute later, they were all doing as instructed.

"Okay, now, what am I supposed to do?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked, Naruto." Jiraiya said with a grin that had Naruto slightly worried.

"Here, put these on your wrists and ankles." Jiraiya said, reaching into his cloak and pulling out four sets of ordinary looking prayer beads and gave them to him.

"Huh? Okay." Naruto replied with a raised eyebrow before he put them on as instructed "Like this?"

"Perfect. Sealing Technique: Four Limbs Weighted Seal!" Jiraiya cried out, instantly the beads turned white.

"Wha- AH!" Naruto looked at the beads before falling to the ground as the beads increased in weight exponentially. "What the hell Pervy Sage!"

"What? I told you didn't I? You have to increase your strength on your own. While they-" the Sannin said as he gestured towards the clones as Naruto got up. "-work on chakra control and taijutsu, you'll work on physical strength. You'll be using those beads to train like that Lee kid. They'll change color as you train and once they turn red, you're done. I'll supervise from over there, yeah, that's it." Jiraiya said, pointing at a tree before walking over to it as Naruto got started exercising, grumbling once more about lazy perverts as Jiraiya sat down. "Good luck brat, it's only going to get harder from here."

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><p><strong>Well, that's the end of chapter 1. The Jutsu Sealing Technique: Four Limbs Weighted Seal is from the game Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja 4.<strong>

**Again, I hope you liked it, please review and no flames.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, here is chapter 2. Fu will be introduced in this chapter. To be honest, I wanted to wait until chapter 3 and even that seemed a bit early to me, but I couldn't think of anything that wouldn't be filler and I didn't want to do a filler chapter so early in the story and with only Naruto and Jiraiya. Anyway, I thought this chapter was too short alone and, long story short, I ended up adding everything I planned for chapter 3 to this chapter.**

**Again, thanks to Naruhinasakufan1.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p>It's been four months since Jiraiya had begun to train Naruto seriously. Since then he had improved greatly. Naruto's taijutsu which was pretty decent for a Genin was now at an average Chunin's level. Naruto's charka control had also greatly improved; he was almost at the level where he could use the Rasengan with one hand. He also learned how to dispel genjustu and thanks to the Four Limbs Weighted Seal, Naruto was able to get a lot stronger and faster in just a short amount of time. Jiraiya decided to get chakra paper when they stopped off at a ninja village so he could find Naruto's affinity. In the mean time, Jiraiya taught him to manipulate earth and fire, his own elements. He had also bought Naruto some books on anatomy, herbs and poisons, chakra and theories, the villages, history and a dictionary and had his shadow clones read and re-read them until they understood and remembered them since the beginning of the second month. It took a lot to convince Naruto to do this, in some cases he had to be forced actually, but it was paying off. Naruto was gradually getting smarter, something Jiraiya was glad for. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to dumb things down for his pupil anymore.<p>

Right now, the sun was about to set and they were near the end of the day's tortu- I mean training. Naruto's shadow clones were divided into groups of ten, training chakra control and taijutsu katas, reading the books or learning earth or fire jutsu and he had been training this way since the second month. Though he wanted to master fire jutsu as well as his own element one day, he didn't intend to learn more than a few earth jutsu, but those he had chosen to learn were extremely useful, namely, three jutsu for traveling underground.

Naruto had begun truly appreciate his healing abilities, because for the past few weeks Jiraiya had begun to train Naruto to plan on the fly and improve his reaction times and judgment by sparring with him, which more often than not led to Naruto being beaten into the ground.

The two were currently exchanging blows. Naruto managed to catch Jiraiya's arm with his elbow, throwing the toad sages punch off course and leaving him wide open, or so he thought. The blond went for a punch to the stomach, only to receive a knee to his own stomach which knocked the breath out of him followed by a kick to the chest that sent Naruto to the ground.

"Alright Naruto, that's enough for now." Jiraiya said as Naruto began to get up.

"Man, you're brutal, Pervy Sage." Naruto said as he got up.

"What's wrong? You're the one who wanted me to train you seriously. Besides, it's paying off isn't it?" Jiraiya said with a grin as Naruto glared at him. "Anyway, we'll be traveling for the next few days so take it easy, work with your clones on chakra control and hopefully, by the time we get where we're going, you'll be able to use the Rasengan with one hand." the Sannin said.

"So, where are we going next anyway?" asked Naruto curiously as he looked at the Sannin

"A minor village, we need some supplies for your training and I have something to discuss with the village's council." Jiraiya said "Now, dispel your clones so we can head back to town."

"You got it." Naruto said as he made a hand sign, the 50 clones dispelled and Naruto reeled for a moment as all they had learned was transferred back to him. After sealing all the books, scrolls and weapons, they walked to the next town and found a cheap hotel because Jiraiya didn't like spending too much on rooms and went to sleep.

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><p>That night as Naruto slept, he suddenly regained consciousness and found himself back in front of the Kyuubi's cage.<p>

"What the… why am I here?" Naruto asked himself out loud.

"**Because I called you here.**" A booming voice spoke. Naruto looked up at the cage and saw the Nine Tailed Demon Fox staring down at him. "**Boy… it's time we talked.**" Kyuubi said as Naruto frowned in confusion.

"What would you want to talk to me about, you stupid fox? In case you forgot, last time I was here you said you wanted to eat me. And besides all your gonna do is say the same old thing like always." Naruto said as he looked at the Kyuubi.

"**You should be more respectful, boy. You're still weak, still powerless; your failure to save the Uchiha should have taught you that.**" Naruto's eyes narrowed as he prepared to refute that. "**Then again, considering your recent development, perhaps you have.**" Naruto seemed slightly surprised. "**I suppose I should be thankful you're stronger than you were before.**" Naruto glared at the fox. 4 months ago, he wouldn't have recognized that backhanded compliment for the insult it was. "**I see you're smarter than you were too…**"

"Did you call me here just to insult me?"

"**No, I called you here to offer you my aid, my power.**"

"Tch. Like I'm going to fall for that." Naruto said turning his back to the fox.

"**It seems you have wised up since we last talked, but I'm not trying to deceive you.**" Kyuubi said, lowering his head to look more closely at the blond as Naruto turned to the Kyuubi. "**Make no mistake, I despise the idea of this and would like nothing more than to kill you… but I am willing to lend you my aid.**"

"You don't do anything for free. So what do you want in return?" Naruto asked.

"**Smart boy… in return for my aid, there is someone I want you to kill… if you give me your word you will kill this person, I will help you control my power, so long as you do not squander it.**" Kyuubi told the Jinchuriki, who looked at him curiously.

"Why would you need my help? Why not just try to break out and do it yourself, and why now?" Naruto asked and Kyuubi's massive eyes narrowed.

"**I will tell you more of him later and my reasons for wanting him dead if you earn my respect. There are reasons I can't simply kill him myself, even if I escape this accursed cage and I didn't make this offer before because you were helpless. I didn't believe you had the potential to kill him, even with my power, but things are different now.**" Kyuubi said, the way he spoke, his loathing of the situation was almost palpable. Naruto looked into Kyuubi's eye for a moment before turning and walking away.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter, I'm not gonna kill someone just to get stronger, come back with a better offer."

The Kyuubi stood up as his container walked away. **"Boy, what if I told you that this person I want dead is most likely the leader of the Akatsuki and is responsible for the deaths of your parents." **Kyuubi said asNaruto froze, eyes wide. A moment later he turned back to the Kyuubi.

"What did you say?" Naruto asked, barely above a whisper. Kyuubi chuckled as he looked at his container.

"**That got your attention, I see.**" The Kyuubi grinned, sensing the negative emotions, mostly rage in the boy before him. Naruto had never been told anything about his parents and now, the first thing he hears about them is that their killer was still alive.

"Who is he?" Naruto asked.

"**He is someone from my past, one whom I hold unfathomable hatred for and he is the reason why I was sealed inside you. That is all I will tell you for now, I will tell you more if you earn my respect and prove yourself worthy of this offer.**"

"Listen to me…"

"**Do you believe you can threaten me whelp? Don't make me laugh. That pathetic sage you call a teacher likely knows something, you may even be able to figure out most of the truth from what he knows, he did know your parents after all.**" Naruto's eyes bulged and the Kyuubi's grin widened. "**Ah**, **that's right… he didn't tell you did he?**" The fox chuckled."**You will get no more on that subject from me now. So boy, do you accept my deal or not?**"

Naruto looked deep in thought, various emotions visible on his face. Before glaring at the Kyuubi "Fine… but I'll be watching you fox, don't think I'll just let you do as you wish."

"**You would be a fool to trust me completely boy, now leave. Come back when you're ready to begin training with my power.**" Kyuubi replied and Naruto closed his eyes before fading from his mindscape. Kyuubi rested his head on his arms proceeded to return to his slumber. The Kyuubi truly hated the idea of helping Naruto, but he had little choice. He had no defense against the Sharingan's ability to control him. Freedom would mean nothing so long as Madara was alive. Besides, even if the boy somehow managed to gain full control of his power, although he didn't like it, the Kyuubi could be patient. No human lived forever, but the Kyuubi, he had all of eternity. He would be free one day, and if this paid off, in the best case when that day came, the cursed clan Uchiha would no longer be an issue.

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><p>That morning, Naruto woke up and immediately a scowl appeared on his face.<p>

"_Was Kyuubi telling the truth? Why wouldn't he tell me? Does Grandma Tsunade know? Or Kakashi-sensei? And if they do why didn't they tell me who they were?" _Naruto asked himself before getting up, determined to get answers, He found Jiraiya sitting down in the cafeteria of the hotel, a room with long wooden tables and benches, no one was in the room with them.

"Hey kid, what's with that look, wake up on the wrong side of the bed or what?" Jiraiya asked, noticing Naruto's foul mood.

"Jiraiya…" Naruto said quietly and the old pervert frowned, wondering what could put the normally happy and energetic boy so angry with him that he would use his name. "Last night, I had a talk with the Kyuubi…"

"What?" Jiraiya exclaimed.

"Listen." Naruto said. "He wanted to make a deal with me, to help me use his power-"

"And you trust him?" Jiraiya asked, shocked the boy would make such a stupid mistake as trust the fox.

"Of course not! But that's not important right now!" Naruto yelled.

"What the hell do you mean brat, of course it's important!" Jiraiya yelled back, trying to get the boy to listen to him.

"Not to me right now, what I care about is that he told me you knew my parents!" Naruto roared at the sage and Jiraiya's eyes widened before he took on a serious expression.

"So that's it…"

"He was telling the truth, why wouldn't you tell me! And who else knew?"

"Calm down, Naruto" Jiraiya said firmly and with a glare that said Naruto better listen, Naruto's eyes narrowed and he sat down.

"You weren't told because it was feared it would go to your head or that you would tell someone, as a Jinchuriki, you would get enough attention from enemies as it was without knowledge of your parents adding to it. I had planned to tell you as soon as you mastered your father's jutsu." Jiraiya explained.

"My… father's jutsu?" Naruto asked, calming now that he was getting answers.

"Yes… the Rasengan."

"What… but you told me… that means…"

"That's right, your mother was Kushina Uzumaki and she was from the destroyed Uzushiogakure, and your father… was Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage." Jiraiya explained to a stunned Naruto as he finally heard his parent's names.

"The Fourth… was my…" Naruto said in disbelief, countless emotions running through him and tears began to form in his eyes. He had always wondered who his parents were, always feared that they abandoned him for containing the Kyuubi, and now he finds out it was his own father who sealed it into him. "Why? Why would he seal the fucking Nine tailed Fox into his own son! Did he have any idea what I would go through! Did he even care!" Naruto shouted as the tears streamed down his face.

"Naruto!" Jiraiya slammed his fist on the table, enraged at Naruto's words. "Don't let me ever hear you say something like that again." Jiraiya said with a scowl. "I had never seen Minato happier than the say he found out he was going to be a father. He loved you very much, I have no doubt about that. I wasn't there so I don't know what exactly happened that night, but let me ask you, could you ask someone to sacrifice their child when you aren't willing to do the same?" Naruto looked at the table, eyes downcast and unwilling to make eye contact with the sage after his outburst, when he thought of what he knew about the Fourth, he realized he was a man willing to make any personal sacrifice for the greater good. After giving him a few moments to think on it, Jiraiya spoke again.

"I'm sorry I kept this from you Naruto and I swear I'll make it up to you, I'll tell you everything about them, but tell me, what else did the Kyuubi talk about. You know how dangerous and persuasive he can be."

Naruto paused for a moment before looking up at the hermit responding "He told me he wanted me to kill someone in exchange for his power." Jiraiya's eyes widened. "He said whoever it is was probably the leader of Akatsuki and responsible for my parents deaths… but I thought the Fourth… my dad, died sealing the Kyuubi." Naruto said quietly and Jiraiya leaned back and cupped his chin

"He did. Actually, both of your parents died fighting the Kyuubi. But… something never did quite add up about the whole thing."

"What do you mean, Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked, Jiraiya briefly looked glad to hear the blond use his nickname again, even if he didn't like it before turning serious again.

"Well, I was going to wait and tell you once we started talking about what your parents were like, but, your mother was the previous container of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox." Naruto's eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly at the revelation. "There is a moment when a female Jinchuriki's seal weakens."

"When?"

"When the Jinchuriki gives birth. A pregnancy in a Jinchuriki lasts 10 months because the chakra that normally nurtures the child is divided between it and the seal, and when she gives birth, so much chakra is directed to the child that the seal weakens, to the point that the Biju can break free, unless a seal master is present to constantly maintain it and repair it afterwards. The seal must have broken, freeing the Kyuubi. Your mother's clan, the Uzumaki, were renowned for two things, they were the greatest known seal masters to ever live and their longevity, it was the life force from that longevity allowed Kushina to survive the Kyuubi's escape, but the damage was killing her, she likely wouldn't have survived the night. She used the last of her strength to hold down the Kyuubi while your father sealed it."

"But… dad was supposed to be one of the greatest seal masters of all time, how could he have let that happen?" Naruto said with a slight scowl, beginning to work out the truth from all information they had gathered.

"Exactly, and that is what doesn't add up. I know your father was there when you were born and he would never have let that happen."

"So then, this guy the Kyuubi wants me to kill…" Naruto said, growling slightly, almost angry enough to channel the Kyuubi's chakra as he began to work out what situation. Jiraiya looked up with a slight glare at the prospect himself having come to the same conclusion as his apprentice.

"That's right, Naruto. Whoever this guy is, he must have attacked your parents when you were born, using you and Kushina's weakened state to his advantage, he separated Minato from Kushina and broke the seal, freeing the Kyuubi to attack Konoha." Jiraiya said before adopting a thoughtful expression. "But all this doesn't explain why the Kyuubi couldn't just kill this guy himself, or why he hates him so much."

"You have any idea's, Pervy Sage?"

"… just one, did the Kyuubi say anything else about him?"

"Just that it's someone from his past who he hates more than anything else." Jiraiya hums in thought. "Well?"

"…There is only one person I can think of… who could get through all the precautions and defenses that would have been used that night and been able to do such a thing…"

"Who?"

"The person I'm thinking of should have been dead since the days of the First Hokage. I'll look into this, but I doubt I'll be able to find anything. But I will say this, if it s him and he is the one behind the Akatsuki, then they are far more dangerous then we could have imagined." Jiraiya said grimly. "Anyway, the Kyuubi will eventually tell you anyway right?" Naruto nodded, they sat in silence for a moment thinking of everything they learned. Jiraiya lamented over not being there for his student when he needed him. He likely wouldn't have been a match the attacker if it was who he thought it was, but with him and Minato together, that night may have turned out differently.

"Pervy Sage…" Naruto said quietly.

"Hm?" Jiraiya snapped out of his depression and he looked to his apprentice.

"Could you tell me… what they were like?"

Jiraiya smiled "Sure kid."

They spent the rest of the morning and a lot of the first day of their journey, talking about Minato and Kushina.

* * *

><p>It had been a week since Naruto had talked to the Kyuubi , he and Jiraiya were slowly traveling north using clones to train Naruto along the way. Naruto had come to respect, love and idolize his parents (even more in the Fourth's case, and in spite of sealing the Kyuubi into him) after hearing everything Jiraiya had to say about them, he had also expressed a wish to follow in the footsteps of his parents and his mother's clan as a seal master. Also, knowing that there was someone powerful enough to use the Kyuubi and fight evenly with his father who was after him and how complicated and difficult sealing jutsu were, he had begun training more intensely and with more focus, even in areas he didn't like such as his reading (though he still didn't do more of that than Jiraiya told him he had to). Although aside from his new found attentiveness, his personality had largely remained unchanged. He had doubled the amount of clones (and quickly decided not to dispel them all at once) and asked Jiraiya to increase the weights. Today, they were finally reaching their destination. They were walking through a forest and they see the light of a clearing.<p>

"Okay kid, feast those eyes of yours on the sight before you because we have arrived!" Jiraiya said while striking a dramatic pose and pointing to the clearing.

"Jeez, Pervy Sage, you still act… like…whoa…" Naruto trailed off as he stepped into the clearing and saw an enormous waterfall.

"Yeah… amazing sight isn't it."

"Yeah the view from here is better than last time."

"Wait, last time? When were you here?" Jiraiya asked a bit surprised to hear that Naruto had actually been here before.

"It was with Kakashi-Sensei Sakura and….Sasuke" said Naruto as he looked down a bit. "We came to do a cleanup job but that changed when one of their Jonin tried to use the Hero's water to take over the village. But me and Sasuke stopped him."

"I se-"

"Stop right there." a female voice called out. Master and apprentice look up as a half dozen shinobi, all wearing black clothing and grey flak jackets land in front of them. "Please state your business with our village."

But before Jiraiya could give a reply one of the Taki Ninja recognized Naruto. And then put his hand on the women's shoulder and whispered in her ear. After a few second's the women put her weapon down and looked at the two. "Ah I'm sorry for that. But security has to be tight we don't want any unwanted visitors; It's a pleasure to see you again Naruto. And you as well lord Jiraiya. Please follow me." the women as she waved her hand and the other members of the Patrol were dismissed and returned to their posts and the Taki Kunoichi turned around and walked to the waterfall with Naruto and Jiraiya right behind her. After a few minutes Naruto decided to make idle conversation.

"So how's the village been since Suien was defeated?" asked Naruto

"The village has been fine, thanks to you and your team, Naruto. A lot of the village thinks' of you as a hero for what you did." said the woman.

"Is that why you didn't blindfold me" he asked

"Yes from what I heard you are a very trustworthy person. So there was no need for the blindfold." replied the woman as they passed a series of pools. "This way." She said, diving into the pool and the duo followed soon after

After several minutes the three emerged in the village, a beautiful village built around a lake, the lake having an island with a gargantuan tree, the leaves of said tree covering the entire village from above, rays of sunlight visibly shining through the leaves.

"Wow, it's more amazing then the last time." Naruto said taking in the sight of the village as they reached the shore.

"Thank you." the Kunoichi replied as they climbed out of the water. "This is where I take my leave. I hope you enjoy your stay Naruto, if you need anything please don't hesitate to ask." the kunoichi replied as she looked at him. Jiraiya's jaw slightly dropped in shock seeing how well respected his pupil was but he quickly snapped out of it.

"Okay, now, I have a meeting with a Taki council member and have to get some supplies. In the mean time, take a break and enjoy yourself OK. Once I get back, we'll train here for a while, then we'll move on. Have fun, maybe find yourself a girl to have some fun with." Jiraiya said. As he and the kunoichi walked towards a bridge leading to the island with the tree.

Naruto scoffed "That's something you would do, Pervy Sage." before looking around "Now where should I go." before stomach rumbled and he put a hand to it. "Ah, I know, I'll find a ramen shop." with that, he raced off in search of the nearest shop selling his favorite meal.

Jiraiya walked with his escort across the bridge to a four story building at the base of the tree that was far more elaborate than any other building in the village, the home of the village leader and meeting place of the council. They entered the building and walked to the second floor and to a room.

"We've arrived, Lord Shibuki will see you now." said the Kunoichi as she took her leave. Jiraiya walked into the room and met Shibuki, the leader of Takigakure. A young man with black eyes and long, dark brown hair going just behind his neck, he wore grey pants and a green shirt.

"Ah, you're here. It's a pleasure to meet you, master Jiraiya." The village leader said.

"Nice to meet you too, Shibuki. It's nice to see someone so young take his position seriously." Jiraiya smirked and Shibuki chuckled and rubbed the back of his head at the compliment.

"Well, I have to live up to my father's legacy." said Shibuki, his father had been a hero who gave his life for the village. Drinking the hero's water to gain the strength necessary to protect the village, knowing the cost. "Anyway, let's get down to business, what is it you wish to tell me?"

"Well, according to my spy network, Taki is the only minor village with a Jinchuriki." Jiraiya said and Shibuki stiffened before narrowing his eyes.

"Yes… what of it?"

"Tell me, what do you know about an organization called Akatsuki?"

* * *

><p>After ten minutes of searching Naruto had gotten tired of trying to find the ramen stand and soon asked for directions. After only a few minutes he had found a ramen stand and was currently on his fifth bowl it. "I have to say, this is a really nice place, the village I mean, I can see why you keep it hidden." Naruto said to the shop owner, a man in his early thirties.<p>

"Thanks kid, most right us off because we're just a minor village and-"

"GET OUT AND STAY OUT, I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE YOU'RE DRIVING THE CUSTOMERS AWAY!" they suddenly heard someone yell from a nearby restaurant, Naruto and the shop owner snapped up at the disturbance to see a girl wearing white with green hair run by the shop and out of sight.

"What was that all about?" Naruto asked as he turned to the shop owner. When he did, he noticed a look he knew all too well, it was the same look everyone in his village had given to him throughout his childhood. A look of hatred, directed at the girl who had just ran by. His gaze lingered where she had been before he turned back to Naruto.

"Oh, nothing. That girl's a kunoichi, but she's trouble, she was probably trying to steal something." he said, not willing to reveal one of the villages secrets to an outsider.

Naruto could tell the man was lying. He didn't know why she was treated this way, but she had apparently lived through the same hell he had. Worse possibly, the old man, the Third Hokage had protected him throughout his childhood, considering what he just saw, she likely didn't have such protection from whatever caused her problems. It didn't take him a moment to make a decision.

"Hey, old man, can I get two orders to go?"

The young kunoichi ran through across the village, eventually finding herself at the giant tree at its core. The green haired genin had just been trying to get a decent meal from one of the stores that had, until now, allowed her to buy from it, but apparently, people didn't want to buy from a shop that let the 'demon' buy things, of course they would choose their business over helping her. There were few in the village that didn't see her as the Nanabi, and those who didn't were in were in no position to help her.

The 14 year old girl's life had been hell and what little kindness she had been shown was disappearing over the years. She was starting to become cynical about the world in general.

"Hey." A voice she didn't recognize called out. She turned to see a yellow haired boy with whisker marks standing on the side of the tree with his chakra.

Naruto looked down at the kunoichi as he finally he got a good look at the girl. She had spiky mint green hair, tanned skin and wore a short white shirt that showed her midriff with a white mini-skirt with bandages on her legs and under her shirt and white armlets, her forehead protector tied around her right arm and white shinobi sandals, reminding him of Ino Yamanaka, who wore almost the same thing but purple in color. What Naruto focused on however, were her eyes, first on the fact that they were orange, his favorite color and then on the fact that they held a look similar to the one his own eyes used to carry, a sad and lonely look, they also had a hint of distrust, showing she had likely been betrayed more than a few times, before they hardened.

She looked at the boy before her, noting his forehead protector.

"What do you want?" She said, scanning him for any signs of hostility or deceit.

"Hi, my name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I saw what happened and thought maybe you'd like some of this." Naruto said, holding up a cup of ramen. The kunoichi raised a brow.

"Naruto Uzumaki? You're the hero of our village. What is someone like you doing talking to me?" said the kunoichi as she looked down and saw the cup of ramen in his hands. "Why would you give me this?"

"Well like I said, I saw what happened and I don't think you should be treated like that, so I thought you might like some company." The kunoichi looked at the boy, debating whether or not to trust him, she decided to give it a shot, seeing as she was hungry and he was from another village and didn't know what she was and it might be nice to be treated normally, even if for a little while.

"Fine." she said, taking the cup, she did like ramen, even if it wasn't her favorite meal. She and Naruto ate together under the tree in silence before Naruto spoke up.

"So, you never told me your name." he said, trying to get the girl to open up.

"It's Fu, just Fu." said the green haired girl and they were silent for a few more moments. "So judging from your headband, you're from Konoha? What's it like?" Fu asked and Naruto smiled.

"It's great! It's a lot bigger than Taki and they have the best ramen stand in all the nations. Theirs also a huge monument to the Hokage, their faces carved into a mountain."

"That so?"

"Yeah, and one day, I'll have my face on the monument."

"You want to be Hokage? Why?" Fu asked and was surprised when Naruto briefly looked sad, the same look she often saw in her own reflection.

"When I was young, I was an orphan and hated by everyone, everywhere I would go, people would glare at me and insult me and I didn't know why until recently. Until then, I wanted to be Hokage so everyone would have to acknowledge me as the greatest ninja of the village. But some people acknowledged me and they rescued me from being alone. Now, I want to be Hokage to protect those who are precious to me." Naruto said, Fu looked at the ground, surprised and depressed at how similar his past was to her own.

"Well, I wish you luck, Naruto and thank you for the ramen." said Fu with a smile.

"Thanks and you're welcome. Hey, anything exciting happen since you became a ninja?"

Fu smiled "A few, what about you?"

"I got some good stories, like the time me and my team fought Zabuza Momochi."

With that, the two began trading stories about their time as ninja.

Jiraiya had finished his business with Shibuki and had gotten all the supplies he needed, he was currently looking for his apprentice. After about five minutes, he had finally found his student talking to a girl at the base of the sacred tree. "_and he said he wasn't like me._" The old pervert thought to himself with a chuckle before he noticed who the girl was. His spy network had informed him of Taki's Jinchuriki. After watching them from a perch on the tree for a moment, he jumped down as he landed, noticing how the girl reacted defensively and noting the look in her eyes.

"Naruto. I see you took my advice on finding some company." Jiraiya said as he landed.

"Pervy Sage. Finished your meeting with Shibuki?"

"Pervy Sage?" Fu asked with a raised brow.

"Don't be fooled by anything the brat might say, the man standing before you if none other than the Toad Sannin, the sage of Mt. Myouboku, the Gallant Jiraiya!" Jiraiya said as he struck one of his poses.

"… is he kidding?" Fu asked skeptically.

"I've seen him fight, he's as strong as he says he is, but he's just a pervert otherwise."

"How many times do I have to tell you brat, I'm not some pervert, I'm a super-pervert!" Jiraiya said proudly.

Naruto and Fu just stare at him in disbelief.

"…Is he really Jiraiya of the Sannin?" Fu asked, not believing that such a renowned ninja would act like this.

"Yeah, just ignore him when he gets like this." Naruto said and Jiraiya sulked for a moment before becoming serious.

"Ahem, anyway, I finished my business and got the chakra paper we needed, so we can start training."

"Okay. Hey, Pervy Sage, can Fu join us?" Naruto asked much to Fu's shock.

"Huh? Sure kid, if she wants to I don't see why not." Jiraiya replied

"Well how about it?" Naruto asked.

"Sure, I would be happy to train under Jiraiya of the Sannin and my team won't care." Fu replied.

"Okay, good thing they sell these cards in groups." Jiraiya said as he pulled out the small sheets of paper. "Have you used these before?" Jiraiya asked Fu, receiving a shake of her head in response. "Okay, listen up, this paper reacts to your chakra. If you have a lightning nature affinity, then the paper will crumble, wind and it'll split in half, fire and it will burn, water it will get wet and earth and it will turn to dust." Jiraiya said before he handed Naruto and Fu each a card. They channeled their chakra into the cards and Naruto's split in half. Fu's, on the other hand, crumbled before getting wet.

"Naruto, you have the wind affinity, where as you, Fu seem to have been born with both water and lightning. Now, we can begin training you in nature transformation."

"Great, can we get started…Ero-sensei?" Fu said with a smirk.

"Damn it brat, look what you did!" Jiraiya wailed and Naruto and Fu shared a laugh while Jiriaya grumbled how brats today showed not respect for their elders. A few moments later and Naruto was making a familiar cross shaped hand sign.

"Hold on Naruto." Jiraiya said.

"What is it?"

"Since your friend is joining us, maybe you should go easy and cut your clones back down to 50, until we leave anyway."

"Okay."

"Good, now listen closely, wind is the rarest of the five basic chakra natures, they can deal in blunt force or precise cutting and piercing attacks and is best suited for short and mid-range combat. To manipulate wind, you must imagine splitting your chakra in two, make those pieces as thin and sharp as possible and compress them together. While manipulating your chakra like this, use your chakra to split a leaf into two halves."

"Piece of cake, Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted as he created 50 shadow clones.

"Wow, you must have some large reserves to create this many just for training. Wait, what are they doing?" Fu said. She was sure she could do something similar, since Jinchuriki all have large reserves but was surprised when five of the clones get books from scrolls and began reading while the rest gathered leaves from the tree.

"Shadow clones have a special ability; they transfer all the experience they gain to the user when they dispel. So with one shadow clone you train twice as fast, with 50..." Naruto trailed off.

"Wow, that's incredible. You'll be able to learn new jutsu in no time like this." Fu said in awe, imagining how quickly one could learn with such an ability.

"Yeah, pretty amazing huh? I wish I had known about this earlier… there are some drawbacks though." Naruto said.

"Like what?" Fu asked.

"Well, most couldn't do this, takes too much chakra to create this many clones, let alone use them for long enough to actually learn anything. Plus, you get their stress too, and learning too much at once can give you a headache."

"I'd imagine so."

"Okay, you two, I'd like you two to spar while your clones get the basics of wind manipulation." Jiraiya said.

"I'm up for it. What about you Naruto? I'd like to see what the future Hokage can do." Fu said.

"Sure, a spar sounds like fun." Naruto replied.

"Alright, no clones okay you two?"

"Okay, ready Fu?" Naruto said as they got in position in the field and Jiraiya sat on one of the roots of the tree.

"Yeah. Let's go." Fu said before held her and forward. "Hidden Waterfall Style: Water Slicing Blade!" Fu said and suddenly, a blade of water formed in her hand and she rushed forward. Naruto drew a kunai and blocked a downward slash, kicking off an exchange of blows before Naruto suddenly jumped high, doing a backflip in mid-air before he threw his kunai and ran through hand signs. Fu dodged the kunai and looked up just in time for Naruto to finish his hand signs.

"Fire style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Naruto yelled before breathing out several small fireballs. Fu dodged three before rushing forward and cutting through a fourth with her water blade. She was half way to the boulder on which Naruto was going to land when he touched down and said boulder broke apart into a cloud of dust which revealed a hole in the ground when it cleared. '_He's underground… he could appear anywhere…_' Fu thought before she closed her eyes to concentrate, much to Jiraiya's surprise, insects begin to crawl out from her back and cover the ground. Naruto popped out of the ground behind her and was covered with them.

With the insects having shocked him and sent his attack off course, Fu punched him in the stomach, only for him to be replaced with a log. She heard a splash and found Naruto had jumped into the lake to escape the chakra draining bugs.

'_Damn, I need to train more with that jutsu, I should have sensed that._' Naruto thought as he swam to the surface. Fu meanwhile was waiting for him to resurface while her insects returned and they informed her of something shocking, they had sensed traces of Biju chakra in his chakra network.

'_He's… a Jinchuriki… he really is just like me…_' she thought, eyes wide open and mouth agape. A look Jiraiya didn't miss. Familiar with the Aburame clan's abilities, which seemed similar to hers, he had a good guess what she just found out.

Naruto finally jumped out of the water and made hand signs. "Fire Style: Flame Bullet!" Naruto spit out a large ball of fire which snaps Fu out of her shock and she prepared a counter.

"Water Style: Violent Water Wave!" A large amount of water gushes from Fu's mouth, washing away the fireball. When the jutsu ends and the water clears Naruto is nowhere in sight. Suddenly, hands reach out of the ground and grab her ankles, pulling her down and burying her up to her neck. Just afterwards, Naruto jumps out of the ground in front of her.

"Looks like I win Fu." Naruto said with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah… now help me out." Fu replied.

"That was pretty good you two." Jiraiya said walking forward as Naruto got Fu out of the ground. "I'd say you two could take the average chunin without much problems. Now, Naruto, join your clones on learning wind manipulation, Fu, since you've obviously got water down already, I'll help you start on lightning." Jiraiya said.

"Okay, what do I need to do?" Fu asked.

"The lightning element is used to electrocute, paralyze and pierce its opponents, as well as increase the users speed, though that's rare. It uses more chakra than the other elements, but it pays off with the amount of damage it can cause. It is produced by increasing the high-frequency vibrations of your chakra. Got all that?"

"Yes, Ero-sensei." Fu said, smirking when she saw him twitch at the name.

For the rest of the day Fu trained with Naruto and Jiraiya. She had opened up to the two a little more by the end of the day. The next day Jiraiya told Naruto to take the day off and told Naruto to enjoy himself with his new friend, hoping he could get some… research material out of his apprentice.

As he walked through the village, Naruto was surprised to find that while he wasn't shunned, Taki wasn't as hospitable as it had been the day before, he didn't know it yet, but word had gotten around about him associating with Fu.

Naruto walked around the sacred tree, Fu having agreed to meet him their before they got back to training.

"Hey, Fu! How are you?… you alright?" Naruto said as he approached Fu and saw her looking out at the lake with a melancholy expression on her face.

"Sorry Naruto…" Fu said quietly.

"Sorry? For what?"

"The reason you're being treated differently, it's because of me. Because you've been talking to me."

"Huh? That's why their giving me the cold shoulder all of a sudden? Don't worry about it, I don't care what they think."

"You must be used to it, right?"

"Huh?"

"You're a Jinchuriki aren't you?" Naruto stiffened. "So, I was right…" Fu said sadly.

"How?"

"My insects sensed a Biju's chakra in you when we sparred yesterday. I'm glad I met another Jinchuriki." Fu said an Naruto's eyes snapped up to her face.

"You're one too?" Naruto asked and Fu nods. "… My mom was the last Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, the Nine Tailed Demon Fox…" Naruto said, surprising Fu. "You know a Jinchuriki's seal weakens when they give birth? When I was born, someone attacked and used that to break the seal, so the Kyuubi would destroy the village; my father sealed it into me to stop it."

"…Twelve years ago, the previous host of the Nanabi, the Seven Tailed Rhinoceros Beetle, lost control and went berserk while trying to master her power. She killed many of our shinobi and citizens before some of our ninja sacrificed themselves to subdue her by using the Hero's Water. But by then it was too late, the seal broke and it was sealed into me."

"And they blame you for the lives it took, don't they? They glare at you and whisper behind your back, they act like you're a monster, even though you haven't done anything. You feel like you're completely alone." Naruto said, having faced the same treatment in Konoha.

"We're all treated the same, aren't we?" Fu asked with a sad smile, able to tell Naruto was speaking from experience.

"Is there anyone who accepts you?"

"No, Naruto. I'm not as lucky as you. There isn't anyone here who thinks of me as a person, if there is, they don't do anything to help. There are some who… tolerate me, but that's it. I would leave this place if I could, but they would just drag me back…"

"You don't have any friend's? No one?" Fu shakes her head. "Well, you can count on me, Fu. I'll be here for you, I'll help you whenever I can and I never go back on my word." Naruto said with a toothy grin. Fu looks up at him and smiles warmly, a tear in her eye as she finally had someone who knew what she'd been through.

"Thank you." Fu said.

* * *

><p>Later that day the village council was meeting. Shibuki had just revealed everything he had learned from Jiraiya the previous day to the council members, they had been shocked that there was an organization hunting the Biju, especially when they heard the names of the two known members and one former member. Who in the ninja world hadn't heard of Itachi Uchiha and Orochimaru? They were strong for a minor village, but they knew they couldn't fight such a group, especially considering how strong the leader must be to control such people.<p>

"We can not let our Jinchuriki be stolen from us." a male member of the council, Saburo said.

"Why do you want to protect that monster? I say we just let them take her, the Nanabi has been nothing but trouble, most of the village would be glad to be rid of her." a woman named Akane said, Shibuki was about to speak out against her when someone else beat him to it.

"Are you insane? We can't let them take the Nanabi!" said a man named Shin.

"I'm surprised you would protect the demon after losing a son to it." Akane replied. Shin narrowed his eyes.

"Don't mistake my intent. Don't forget who were dealing with, one of the members of this Akatsuki is Itachi Uchiha, from the same clan as Madara, the only man to ever fully control the Kyuubi while it was unsealed. Think of how powerful their leader must be to control people like him, Kisame Hoshigaki and Orochimaru. While the chance is slim, they may have some method of controlling the Biju. If that's the case and monsters like that get one of the stronger Biju, let alone all nine, it would be nothing short of a complete disaster!" said Shin with conviction. The others, some hesitantly, nodded.

"We would lose too many shinobi defending her. But what if we gave her to another village, like Konoha for instance?" suggested a woman, Kyo. This suggestion was met with a lot of resistance. "What? Akane, you said yourself no one in the village would miss her, we would be rid of the demon, the Nanabi would be protected from the Akatsuki and we would get something in exchange for it and strengthen our alliance with Konoha. Besides, what good has the Nanabi done for us? None of its Jinchuriki have gotten far in controlling it and both eventually lost control, the last one lost control within the village." Kyo said, and the others debated internally, she did have a good point but they still didn't want to give away such a resource or strengthening another village, even an ally, but from the looks of things they would lose it anyway, at least this way they could get something out of it.

"Let's adjourn for today. Think about the situation tonight and we will decide tomorrow." Shibuki said. Personally, he hoped to go with Kyo's idea. Not just to protect Taki, but also so Fu would have a chance to be happy. He was one of the few who felt sorry for her, but his duties kept him from being there for her. He hoped that if she left, she could find happiness somewhere.

* * *

><p><strong>I honestly wanted to wait longer to introduce her into the story, but with Naruto and Jiraiya, alone and having already established that Jiraiya didn't have chakra paper as he hadn't planned on teaching him nature manipulation. Anything else I could do would just be filler and I didn't want that. Besides, I don't want Naruto to be too much stronger than her and with him training with shadow clones from the start, if I don't introduce her fairly soon, she will never really catch up.<strong>

**Hope you liked it. If not, please tell me why, don't just say it sucks or something. Anyway, please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, I'm surprised how much attention my story's getting. I thank you for all your support and hope I don't let you down.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>It was early morning in Konohagakure. It was going on five months since Naruto and Jiraiya left and it was largely business as usual for the people of the Hidden Leaf. Tsunade had grown used to her new position as Hokage, which meant she wasn't found sleeping on her desk beside stacks of papers anymore. Of course, doing all that work didn't mean she didn't occasionally find time for distractions. Just as she was about to get out a bottle of sake she had managed to conceal from Shizune, there was a knock on the door.<p>

Tsunade sighed to herself, her hand retreating from her hidden sake. She sometimes had to question why she took the job. That blond brat had gotten to her and while she had to admit it felt good to be back and she was happy to help the village, she didn't have to be Hokage to do that. Speaking of him, it was kind of dull without him around, less of a headache but still. In the short time she had known him he had become almost like a grandson to her, but between her paperwork, training Sakura and recently Ino as well it was not like she was bored.

"Come in." The door opened and a black haired woman from Konoha's Aviary came in holding a scroll.

"Lady Tsunade, we just received a message from Takigakure."

"From Taki?" Tsunade asked, wondering what they could want.

"Their requesting a few amendments to the alliance between our villages, trades and… well, look for yourself." The woman said. Tsunade took the scroll and read it. After a few moments, her eyes widened and seconds later she sighed. She would have to call a meeting of the council to discuss this.

An hour later, Tsunade sat in the conference room at the end of a long, plain table with the village's clan heads and the advisory council members.

"Let's begin." Tsunade said seriously, a slight frown on her face knowing they were trading a person, likely without said person's knowledge, but aware that Taki didn't have the resources to protect their Jinchuriki from the Akatsuki. "Earlier today, we received a messenger bird from Taki."

"From Taki? What do they want?" Homura asked with a furrowed brow. "Does it have something to do with Uzumaki?" They had all been surprised when they had heard of the boy's status as a hero in the village.

"No, although Jiraiya and Naruto arrived in Taki two days ago, this has nothing to do with either of them. They made requests of us. They wish for funds, aid and for us to funnel missions to them, among other things."

"I assume they've offered us something in return and are not merely wasting our time." Koharu asked.

"In return, they're offering us… the Nanabi Jinchuriki." Tsunade said and looks of slight surprise crossed the faces of everyone else in the room.

"…Troublesome." Shikaku said, his strategic mind, along with Danzo's having already figured out Taki's intentions. "… they don't want to defend their Jinchuriki from the Akatsuki, so they think that by giving us their Jinchuriki, not only do they protect themselves but they can request something in return while pushing the problem onto us."

"While I do not like the idea of being used so obviously, Konoha would gain another powerful weapon. Who is the current Nanabi Jinchuriki?" Danzo said.

"A 14 year old genin girl named Fu, we can have her leave with Jiraiya. She will benefit from his training and Akatsuki wouldn't attack any sooner than they would have before." Tsunade said.

"Should we really accept? We would make ourselves a bigger target for the Akatsuki, having two Jinchuriki." Choza said.

"We do not know if they can control the Biju or use them in some way aside from creating new Jinchuriki or not." Hiashi said calmly. "If they can, every Biju they gain increases their threat, to us and all villages."

"That aside, we would gain the power of another Biju. Currently, both Iwa and Kumo, both of whom we have poor relations with, each have two Jinchuriki, in addition, one of Kumo's Jinchuriki has achieved total control of his Biju, the Hachibi, as discovered by our Fourth Hokage during the last war." Danzo said calmly. "Possessing another Jinchuriki would be good for the village."

"The child would also be unlikely to betray us. Jinchuriki are pretty much treated the same, but thanks to Naruto, the current generation as well as many others have seen they are not the demons they contain. She is more likely to choose us over a village that has always treated her as a monster, even if that's not the case, the boy seems to have a way with people." Shibi said. Many nodded, they knew of the change in Neji Hyuuga and the effect the blond had on Shibuki. Danzo, of course, still intended to have Fu put under close observation from his ROOT shinobi.

* * *

><p>In Taki, Naruto and Fu were training under Jiraiya. Fu was kind of jealous of Naruto's Shadow Clone Jutsu. She was already far behind Naruto in learning to manipulate her element. With ten of his clones as well as himself devoted to learning his wind nature, he was progressing ten times as quickly as her.<p>

Fu was happier than she had ever been in her life. She had actually met and befriended another Jinchuriki and Jiraiya didn't care that she was one. They kept training till midday at which point Jiraiya told them to take it easy for the rest of the day.

At the moment, Fu was standing under a tree, waiting for Naruto to return with something to eat. She would go to, but most places they could get something already cooked would likely kick her out. She looked up as she heard Naruto approaching, and raised a brow when she saw he brought ramen again.

"Ramen again?" Fu asked.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Naruto replied.

"Nothing, you just seem to like it a lot."

"Well, it is my favorite food, it's pretty much all I used to eat back in Konoha."

Fu looked at him with a furrowed brow. "Naruto, that can't be healthy. I know you like it, but why would you eat it all the time?" Naruto looked to the ground.

"Well, besides the fact that it's my favorite, remember that ramen stand I mentioned? It's owners were two of the first people to be nice to me. The old man Teuchi and his daughter Ayame were two of the first people to see me as a person, instead of the Kyuubi. They're like family to me, so I made sure to spend as much time there as I could."

"Oh… I see… sorry I reminded you of that."

"It's alright, besides, it's nice to talk about it with someone who understands what it's like." Naruto said with a smile and Fu nodded.

"The closest to that for me was that shop you saw me chased from. They didn't really care; they just thought my money was as good as anyone's. But apparently, no one wanted to eat at a place serving the village demon."

"Oh…"

"But, if that hadn't happened, we might have passed each other by without saying a word, and it's not like I can't cook."

"Yeah, your right, so I guess it worked out for the better." Naruto said with a smile which Fu returned, she didn't really like going there anyway, they served her but always made it clear she wasn't welcome. Just as they had almost finished with their meals, a Taki nin landed before them.

"Fu, Lord Shibuki requests your presence. You are to report to him immediately." the man said. Fu nodded and looked to Naruto.

"It's fine, I get it. See you later, Fu." Naruto said and the green haired girl nodded before she disappeared in a body flicker.

She entered the building and walked through the halls to Shibuki's office, knocking before entering.

"Welcome Fu." the village leader said.

"Greetings lord Shibuki, you wanted to see me?" Fu replied and was put on guard when Shibuki gave her an apologetic look.

"Yes. Fu… I regret to inform you that starting today; you will no longer be a shinobi of Taki." Fu's eyes widened in shock.

"Wha… what you mean? What am I supposed to do if I'm not a ninja?" Fu yelled, angry and a bit afraid, Taki saw her as a weapon, if they thought she wasn't good enough, they may extract the Nanabi.

"I didn't say you would no longer be a shinobi Fu, it's just that you will no longer be a ninja of this village. You're being transferred to Konoha, effective tomorrow. You're to leave the village with Master Jiraiya."

"What… is that why they came here?" Fu asked, fearing she may have been betrayed again and they had come to get another weapon for their village.

"Not exactly, Jiraiya and his apprentice came on a training trip, as I know they have told you, but also to warn us."

"Warn us, about what?" Fu asked, wondering what it could be to cause them to simply give her away.

"There's an organization called the Akatsuki, we have heard a little of them, they're an organization that works in groups of two and every member is an S-class missing-nin, including Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, and formerly, Orochimaru of the Sannin." Shibuki explained much to Fu's shock she recognized those names. "Right now, their acting as mercenaries, taking any job for the right price, as well as bounty hunters, but… Master Jiraiya has uncovered their true objective."

"What is it?"

"… The Biju." Shibuki said grimly, causing Fu's eyes to bulge and her jaw to drop slightly in shock and fear. They were coming after the Biju and by extension the Jinchuriki. Then a look of realization appeared on her face before her eyes narrowed.

"So, the council decided to get rid of me so they wouldn't be a target. I'm surprised they didn't just give me up to them."

"I would never have allowed that, but I won't lie to you, the idea did come up." Fu looked to the ground, eyes shut and trembling with rage. Her village was just going to abandon her and kick her out? Even if she hated the place it was her home, some part of her had wanted to prove them wrong and show them she wasn't the monster they thought she was. That and the thought that they had actually considered letting the Akatsuki take her to save there own skins…

"For what it's worth, I was for the idea for you to go to Konoha, but not to protect the village, though that's part of it." Shibuki said and Fu looked up at him. "Fu… you know as well as I do most of the village will never accept you, and I've been watching you since Jiraiya and his apprentice arrived. Don't deny that the time you've spent with those two has been the happiest you've ever been." Fu anger subsided and a melancholy look played across her face. "Fu… take this chance to find people who accept you… find a place where you won't be an outcast, where you can find the happiness you deserve. I have faith in you and wish you luck."

"… Thank you… Lord Shibuki." Fu said as Shibuki held a scroll to her.

"You don't have to call me that anymore. Here, take this message to Master Jiraiya. It will explain everything. Goodbye Fu. I'm sorry I couldn't help you more." Fu nodded and quietly walked out.

That night, Fu walked to the hotel she knew Naruto and Jiraiya were staying at and walked to their room and knocked on the door. Naruto answered.

"Oh hey… Fu what's wrong." Fu began to sob and hugged Naruto, much to his and Jiraiya's surprise, Naruto held her until she calmed down and she gave the scroll to Jiraiya. He read it and scowled slightly.

"Huh… didn't see that coming." Jiraiya said.

"What is it, Pervy Sage?"

"Well apparently, Taki decided that they would rather give Fu to Konoha than try to defend her from the Akatsuki."

"What? Fu! You're telling me these bastards are just going to abandon you?" Naruto yelled, Fu, who was sitting on the floor, just hugged her legs to her chest. "Where's the village council! I'm going to give them a piece of my mind!"

"Naruto." Fu said and the blond calmed a bit. "It's okay, I'm fine. I told you I'd like nothing more than to leave and it could be worse. Lor- I mean Shibuki said they even considered just letting them take me."

"They what?"

"Naruto." Jiraiya said. "Just calm down, nothing can be done about it now. I was planning to wait a few more days, but, let's head out in the morning."

"Yeah, I can't wait to get out of this place." Naruto growled. Fu just nodded, she really couldn't wait to put this place behind her forever. There was little she would miss about the village.

"Can I stay here tonight?" Fu asked.

"Sure, got your own sleeping bag?" Jiraiya asked and Fu nodded. They all got ready for bed, just before they all lay down. Fu looked at Naruto, whose sleeping bag was next to her's.

"Naruto?"

"Huh?"

"We're friend's, aren't we?" Naruto looked surprised before he smiled.

"Why are you even asking? Of course we are." Fu smiled back at him.

"Thank you, I didn't think I'd ever have a real friend." Fu said.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Fu had sealed all her belongings into a scroll and left the village with Jiraiya and Naruto. After they stepped out of the waterfall, she looked back at the waterfall that marked the entrance to what had been her home and after a moment, she removed her forehead protector from her arm and threw it into the water.<p>

'_I'll show them… I'll become one of the most powerful ninja the Elemental Nations have ever seen, I'll show them what they threw away._' Fu thought, realizing a moment later that that was similar to Naruto's initial reason for wanting to be Hokage, acknowledgement, and realized how much these two, the first to accept and help her besides Shibuki, had come to mean to her in such a short amount of time. '_… and I'll use that power to protect everyone who accepts me._'

"Hey, Fu." Naruto said, snapping Fu out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"I just realized since you're going to be a Konoha ninja, there's nothing stopping me from teaching you the Shadow Clone Jutsu." Naruto said and Fu's eyes widened.

"That's true, and with it you'll be able to train as quickly as Naruto. You'll need it with the Akatsuki after you, and with both of you, Konoha will likely be a bigger target to them. Naruto, you teach her to use the Shadow Clone Jutsu while we travel." Jiraiya said.

"Where are we going Jiraiya-sensei?" Fu asked.

"What? No 'Ero-sensei' anymore? So, you've finally seen that I'm a man worthy of the utmost respect." Jiraiya said with a grin.

"No, I just noticed it's not bothering you as much anymore." Jiraiya twitched and Fu adopted a thoughtful expression. "But if you want me to call you that…"

"No! That's alright!"

"Mmm… no, I think I will keep calling you Ero-sensei on second thought, think of it as a term of endearment." Fu said with a smirk, Jiraiya grumbled about disrespectful brats and Naruto and Fu shared a laugh at his expense. "Anyway, where are we going?"

"The Land of Rivers, I know a place that's perfect for what I have in mind. Doesn't hurt that the country also has some lively towns and a minor ninja village, among other things."

* * *

><p>A week later, Naruto, Jiraiya and Fu were traveling down the road in a dark, mountainous forest near the border to the Land of Grass, the skies were overcast and it looked like it could start raining any moment. Fu had gotten the Shadow Clone Jutsu on the second day and she and Naruto had devoted all their clones to learning to manipulate their new elements whenever they stopped. With a hundred clones devoted to learning it, they had already gotten basic manipulation of their elements down, Naruto could split leaves and Fu could create a decent electric charge, but they were not yet good enough to use their elements in battle.<p>

"Hey, where are we, Pervy Sage? This place gives me the creeps." Naruto asked, trying to mask his fear. Something that wasn't too well known, Naruto had phantasmaphobia, an irrational fear of ghosts, phantoms and the supernatural/paranormal and this place definitely had that kind of vibe.

"We're near the capital of the former Land of Necks, Kubisaki Pass." Jiraiya answered.

"Ku-Kubisaki Pass? As in broken neck!" Naruto said, pointing to his neck with his eyes wide.

"What? Don't tell me the future Hokage's scared." Fu teased with a playful smirk.

"What? No! Of course not! So, why do they call this place that anyway?" Naruto asked.

"He does have a point, it's not exactly inviting." Fu said.

"It's named in honor of the Kubisaki clan. They were the feudal lords of the Land of Necks, until they were destroyed in a war fifty years ago." Jiraiya explained, before pausing as he felt something. He looked to the sky, his students followed his gaze just as it began to rain, quickly picking up into a downpour. "Oh great! Come on kids, move." he said as they began to run. As they ran down the road, a foreboding castle becomes visible from the tree line. "Huh, that must be the castle of the Kubisaki clan, come on, we can stay there for the night, it should be abandoned."

"What? We're staying there? Why not just walk straight the next town? It's just a little rain." Naruto asked. He would never set foot into the place by his own free will, even if it meant staying out in the rain all night.

"I knew it, you are scared." Fu said.

"No I'm not, I just… want to get where we're going faster. A little rain never hurt anybody." Naruto replied as they ran to the castle. They walked in to find that the castle was well lit and in perfect condition, as if there were still servants taking care of it.

"What the…? Didn't you say this castle was abandoned Ero-sensei?" Fu asked looking around.

"…It should be." Jiraiya said tensely, on guard and prepared to react at any moment.

"Hey! Is it okay if we take shelter from the rain here?" Naruto yelled but received no answer. He then turned to his teacher noticed the serious look on his face. "What's wrong Pervy Sage?"

"I don't know, I feel as if I've been here before…" Jiraiya replied, looking around. '_Why does this feel so familiar…_'

"Well, let's have a look around…" Fu said as she walked towards what appeared to be the dining room.

"Wait a minute! Now I know why this place seems familiar!" Jiraiya exclaimed, unable to believe he couldn't figure it out before, the feeling he got from the place was almost identical to his Summoning: Toad Shop Technique. He guessed it was harder to tell since he wasn't the summoner but still he should have noticed. "We have to get out of here now!"

"**DEVOUR!**" A booming voice resonates from all around them. Causing Naruto and Fu's eyes to widen as Jiraiya's narrowed.

"Wha- what was that?" Naruto asked in a panic.

"**I AM THE CASTLE AND BY ORDER OF KOUZA KUBISAKI, ALL WHO ENTER SHALL BE DEVOURED!**" the voice said.

Suddenly, the doors around them opened and several tongues shot out and tried to grab them. The three dodged the tongues and jumped off the floor as acid poured through the cracks in the wood.

"What the hell's happening?" Fu shouted as they landed on a still dry portion of the floor.

"Hey Pervy Sage, what's going on? This is just like when you summoned that toad when Itachi and Kisame attacked." Naruto said, calmer now that he was almost sure they weren't dealing with ghosts.

"Your right Naruto, it is just like that. We're in the belly of the beast." Jiraiya said seriously.

"What?" Both his apprentices snap their heads to him, eyes wide.

"This is a summon disguised as a castle, meant to devour all who set foot inside." Jiraiya explained. He drew back his hand, forming a Rasengan. "Stand back, I'll have to blast our way out of here."

All of a sudden, everything stopped and returned to normal. As the three look around in bewilderment, the main door opened and a man wearing the armor of the Kubisaki clan walked through the door, surrounded in blue light.

"What… who's that?" Naruto asked, watching as the man walks by them. "Hey." he called out, not receiving a response.

"Should we follow him?" Fu asked

"…Why not? There's no point in tricking us when were already trapped." Jiraiya said before following the man with his students behind him.

"Not like this could get any worse right?" Naruto asked.

Fu turned to him with a deadpan expression as they followed their sensei. "Naruto… don't ever say that…"

They followed the man up the stairs. He disappeared from sight at the top of the stairs and when they reached the top themselves, they found he had vanished.

"Wait, where'd he go?" Naruto asked.

"That's not important, look." Jiraiya said. "The summon contract." Jiraiya said, pointing to an altar in the room with a scroll. They walked forward and saw a picture of a chameleon on the scroll. "As I thought, the chameleon contract. We can get out of here by destroying or signing it, since Naruto and I have already signed the toad contract, I think Fu should sign this." Jiraiya said, Fu was about to respond when the heard a roar and the walls began to turn to flesh. "Quick Fu, sign it!" Jiraiya said urgently.

Fu ran to the altar and practically tore open the scroll, she briefly scanned the names before she bit her finger and signed the scroll in blood.

"Now, give it an order!" Jiraiya instructed as the walls began to move to attack again.

"Stop!" Fu yelled. At her command, the walls stopped moving. "Let us go." Fu said. The walls returned to their stone guise and seeing nothing of note, the trio began to simply walk out of the mansion.

"Is that it?" Naruto asked as he looked around for any signs of attack.

"That's it, come on, let's get out of here, we need to release it from it's order, it's been stuck here for fifty years." Jiraiya said.

"Yeah, being stuck here for fifty years must really suck." Naruto said and Fu nodded as they walked back outside, though the sky was still overcast, the rain had stopped.

"Okay, I release you from the command of Kouza Kubisaki." Fu commanded, recalling the name of the former master of the castle.

The castle began to shift, turning green and reshaping itself, until it had returned into its true form, a giant chameleon as tall as the castle, with green scales, possessing a trio horns at the center of it's head and a row of spikes down its spine. The chameleon opened its eyes, both of which quickly focused on the green haired Jinchuriki.

"**You… I thank you for releasing me, young one…what is your name?**" the chameleon asked, it's voice deep and grating.

"My name is Fu, your new summoner."

"**I am Shiromari, leader of the chameleons. As you have signed our contract, and in return for releasing me, we will aid you from this day forth… now, I have fifty years of catching up to do with my family, farewell.**" Shiromari said before vanishing in a huge burst of smoke.

"Well… today was certainly eventful… and the rain stopped." Jiraiya said "Okay, I think we've had enough excitement for today, let's make camp around here, we'll continue in the morning." Jiraiya said as he led his students to find a good spot to make their camp.

* * *

><p>In the morning, Naruto and Fu were sitting on a pair of logs before the remains of a campfire. Jiraiya, who had woken up late, was getting ready and Naruto and Fu were ready to go.<p>

"Ero-sensei mentioned you signed the toad contract, so, what can they do?" Fu asked Naruto, who took on a thoughtful expression.

"… You know, I'm not really sure. Whenever I've summoned them, I always just have them fight. I know Pervy Sage once summoned the stomach of a toad around us, but, that's it." Naruto replied.

"You don't know?" Fu asked, surprised.

"You don't know what yours can do either." Naruto said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, but I just got them… and no one's seen this contract in fifty years. You, on the other hand, had the toad contract and have been traveling with someone who mastered their abilities for months." Fu pointed out with a smirk.

"Yeah… well…" Naruto rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly.

"We both need to learn more about our summons, let's just call one of them and ask."

"Good idea." Naruto replied before they both bit their thumbs and made hand signs.

"Summoning Jutsu!" both call out as they slam their hands to the ground. Two small clouds of smoke poof into existence, when they cleared, Fu had summoned a small green chameleon with brown markings on it's face and along it's back, while Naruto summoned a small orange toad with blue markings along his eyes and lips and a blue jacket.

"What's up?" the toad, Gamakichi asked.

"You must be our new summoner." the chameleon said. "I am Daichi, grandson of Shiromari, thanks for freeing gramps, I'd only heard of him till yesterday."

"Your welcome, although, we didn't have much choice you know?" Fu replied.

"Guess that's true, still, thanks."

"Whoa, a chameleon? It's been a long time since you've left your forest. Say kid, who's she? Your new girlfriend?" Gamakichi asked with a smirk, causing Naruto and Fu's eyes to widen and blushes to appear on their faces.

"Wha-, what? What makes you think I'm his girlfriend?" Fu asked, waving her hands in front of her.

"Yeah, I mean, she couldn't be my girlfriend, what gave you that idea?" Naruto asked, still blushing.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fu scowled, and Naruto knew if he said the wrong thing he'd be a dead man.

"I mean I've only known you for about a week, it's too soon to think about something like that." He replied quickly while raising his hands in defense and Fu's anger seemed to subside a bit. "Besides… there's a girl I like back at Konoha…" Naruto said sadly as he remembered when Sakura begged him to bring Sasuke back. He knew she loved Sasuke and it hurt, part of the reason he wanted to save Sasuke was so Sakura could be happy, even if it wasn't with him.

"Oh…" Fu said quietly, not sure why that hurt a little. They both seemed a bit gloomy after this.

"Hey hey, what's with the gloomy atmosphere? Anyway, why did you call us?" Gamakichi asked.

"I'm curious about that too." Daichi added.

"Oh yeah, we were wondering, what can you guy's do? We were talking and we realized we don't know much about your abilities. I mean, all we know is your gramps can disguise himself as a castle-" He gestures to Daichi. "- and you guys can attack with your tongues and the chief has his sword and that water jutsu, do you have any special abilities."

"What? You've been with the old guy all this time and haven't asked him?" Gamakichi asked a bit surprised, causing Naruto to look sheepish and Fu to smirk. "Well, some of us can do something like what you just said his gramps did, some of us can use water, fire and wind jutsu, and we can combine them with your jutsu for stronger attacks."

"Huh?"

"This is the first your hearing of collaboration jutsu?" Gamakichi asked shocked, Daichi seemed surprised as well.

"Yeah, the meanings pretty obvious though, combining techniques for a stronger attack right?" Fu asked.

"Well yeah, but there's a bit more to it." Gamakichi said.

"Collaboration jutsu is combining complimentary ninjutsu and elements or techniques that require multiple users working together. For example, several ninja working together to create a powerful barrier or, you know how wind makes fire stronger?" Daichi began to explain, getting nods from the two, he continued. "Well, let's say you summon gramps, he has the wind and water elements, if you combined his wind with a fire jutsu of your own, it would create a firestorm."

"Yeah, you get the same result by combining pop's Toad Oil Bullet with a fire jutsu, and if that were then combined with a wind jutsu…" Gamakichi explained.

"Wow, sounds awesome." Naruto said.

"Yeah, but there's more to it than just combining jutsu. You have to time it just right and synchronize your chakra for maximum effect or for some techniques to work at all. Aside from that, there are lots of toads with special abilities, seals, barriers, partial summons like you mentioned earlier, sage arts-"

"Sage arts?"

"I don't really know much about it yet, ask the old man, he'd be able to explain our abilities better anyway."

"As for us, we can use water, fire, wind and earth techniques, we can attack with our tongues, and have some other abilities you should call someone older to explain, also-" Daichi explained, before he suddenly faded from sight, blending in with his surroundings and his presence completely vanished. Gamakichi, knowing about this ability wasn't surprised, but Naruto and Fu looked around in shock, before Fu suddenly jumps and looked to her leg, her gaze rapidly shifting as if following something that was crawling up her body until it stopped beside her neck. The young chameleon reappeared there on her shoulder. "- we can completely blend in with our surroundings and hide our presence, though we will teach you to detect us and possibly imitate this ability. This, along with our earth jutsu that allows us to tunnel through the ground quickly, makes us excellent spies and perfect for sneak attacks, though there are some abilities that can still detect us."

"Seriously? That sounds perfect for pranks." Naruto said.

"That's true, and please don't do that again." Fu said.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Daichi said with a smirk.

"So, if that's all you wanted, got any snacks?" Gamakichi asked.

"If you got any, I'd like some too." Daichi added.

"Huh? Oh sorry, were on a training trip right now so we don't really have things like that, we'll get you some next time we stop in a town though." Naruto said.

"Well, thanks in advance. See ya." Gamakichi said before dispelling himself and returning to the toad's mountain.

"If you have no other reason for me to be here, I'll be heading back too." Daichi said before he left as well.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to start asking about your summons." Jiraiya said as he stepped out from the tree line.

"You heard all that Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, come on, let's get going." Jiraiya said as he sealed up their tents and sleeping bags. "I'll give you a rundown on some of the toads abilities as we go. Sorry Fu, but you're going to have to ask the chameleons for more about their abilities."

* * *

><p>"Wow…" was all Naruto could say as he gazed at the valley before him. It had been a week and they had arrived at their destination. Naruto now knew a little about the toad's special abilities and Jiraiya assured him he would show him some of them later. They stood before an enormous, majestic valley with a deep forest and several waterfalls and rivers.<p>

"Yep, this is the place. Come on, we're headed to that waterfall." Jiraiya said before he and his apprentices began rapidly jumping down the valley wall and from tree to tree, reaching their destination, a clearing before a waterfall, where the water pooled into a large lake that fed a river, in under a minute.

"So, what are we going to do Ero-sensei?" Fu asked.

"Well, this place has everything we need for your elemental training, among other things, but right now, we'll be focusing on something else." Jiraiya said, showing a grin that worried his two apprentices. "Oh, by the way, Fu, where's your seal located?"

"The center of my chest, why?" Fu asked, indicating the area just below the base of her neck.

"What do you have in mind?" Naruto asked.

"I want you to master your chakra control." Jiraiya replied, still grinning.

"What? After all that time I spent on chakra control, I can form a Rasengan perfectly already, it seems like a waste of time."

"Yeah, but I don't have that level of chakra control yet, and the better our control, the more powerful our jutsu will be and the less energy we'll use in them." Fu said.

"Well… I guess your right." Naruto pouted.

"Don't be so down, if I'm right, by the time this is through, your chakra control should be good enough to cast genjutsu." Jiraiya said, shocking Naruto and Fu. Jinchuriki typically could not cast genjutsu due to their large chakra supplies and consequential lack of control. "You two should brace yourselves." Jiraiya said as he drew his hands back, before they could ask what he was planning he shot forward, his fingertips glowing with chakra, and slammed his hands into their Naruto's stomach and Fu's chest and called out "Five Pronged Seal!", both cried out in pain and were sent sprawling on the ground unconscious. They awoke half an hour later.

"So, you're finally up huh?" Jiraiya asked.

"Ahh… hey, what's the big idea… wait… not this again." Naruto said, as he looked to the Kyuubi's seal and realized what Jiraiya had done.

"Ow… you've been through that before?" Fu asked sitting up with a hand over her seal.

"Yeah, Orochimaru used it on me when he snuck into the chunin exams… it shot my chakra control to hell…"

"I get it… we're supposed to master controlling our chakra while these seals interfere, right?" Fu guessed.

"You got it. I want you each to create one hundred clones and devote seventy five to chakra control for the next three weeks, use the rest to make sure you don't fall behind in your other subjects. After that, you'll continue to train with the seals on until you master manipulating your elements. You should get started." Jiraiya said. Seeing the benefits, they decided not to argue and went to create the clones. Much to their surprise, Fu created less than half her target number and Naruto created about two thirds.

"What the?" Naruto said puzzled.

"Don't forget about the seals." Jiraiya said with a smirk. "It's going to be harder for you to create clones with them messing with your chakra flow."

"Right." Fu said as she prepared to use the jutsu again.

* * *

><p><strong>Please review.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**And here I will introduce the second location from the anime, Takumi Village, the village of artisans, though the characters will be original and that arc didn't happen in my story. I personally thought those weapons the Four Celestials used were awesome and decided I would use the village to give Naruto and Fu unique weapons like those. Their weapons will be largely based on the Fujaku Hiso Shoken (Soaring Twin Short Swords) or Double-edged swords in the Dub.**

**I also tried to add a bit more humor to this chapter. I think every good story needs a bit of everything.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p>Three weeks later, Naruto and Fu stood before their sensei in the clearing, ready for the next level of their training, their chakra control training finally completed. It had been annoying to both Naruto and Fu when they had tried to walk on the nearby lake and found themselves and all their clones struggling with it and unable to stand on the surface for more than a few minutes before falling in, although Naruto's control was good enough that he didn't need to redo the tree climbing exercise, Fu did, much to her chagrin. On the third day, their control was good enough that they were able to stand on the surface with no trouble, soon after they began to hold leaves to their bodies with chakra. During the last days of the three week period, they and their clones would spar while the held a dozen of leaves to their bodies with no trouble. After the three weeks were over, their chakra control was better than it had ever been, despite the seals. Jiraiya also applied Four Limb Weighted Seals to them both during the second week.<p>

"Okay, Pervy Sage, now, what's the next level of our training." Naruto asked confidently.

"Okay, for the next step, your going to use a dozen clones for a while. You're both going to be learning to control large amounts of your nature chakra. Naruto-" Jiraiya pointed his thumb behind him to the waterfall. "-you're going to be using your chakra to split that waterfall in half with pure wind manipulation."

"Whoa…" was all Naruto could say as he gazed up at the waterfall.

"As for you, Fu, I want you to gather as much lightning as you can into an attack and slam it into the valley wall. I want you to cause as much damage with pure lightning chakra as you can."

"You got it, Ero-sensei."

"If you're ready, then get started. This is gonna take you a while and after your done with that, I've got a few scrolls for you with jutsu in your elements."

"Ero-sensei?" Fu said.

"Huh?"

"Think you could teach me that earth technique Naruto used when we sparred in Taki? That tunneling jutsu seemed useful."

"Sure, but for now, focus on you lightning manipulation." Fu nodded before she and Naruto got to work. Naruto could only barely part the water and Fu's lightning attack barely caused a crack in the wall. Neither was surprised, having already learned another element they had expected this.

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><p>A little over five months later, Jiraiya finally released the seals and his apprentices were beaming at their accomplishment. After they had completed their nature chakra exercises in two weeks, they had returned to their usual training method. One hundred clones divided into groups of twenty. The shadow clones were either reading what Jiraiya told them, which Naruto still didn't like but had come to accept, chakra control, taijutsu katas, kenjutsu which Fu had wanted to learn since she learned the Water Slicing Blade and Naruto had wanted to learn after seeing Fu and remembering Zabuza, and learning jutsu of their elements. After the first month, they had truly mastered the exercises. Naruto could cut the waterfall on pure chakra manipulation easily and Fu could pull off something similar to Chidori, but more powerful, focused around her whole arm and not really fit for practical use, still, she could now manipulate large amounts of the element easily and that's what mattered, she also had apparently gotten a few ideas from it but had filed them away for later. Naruto learned a few wind and fire jutsu and Fu had learned water and lightning jutsu, mostly C-ranks and a few B-ranks, Fu also learned the same three tunneling jutsu Naruto had and they both learned a fourth. They were about even now in terms of their elemental jutsu, it was easier for Fu to learn her elements because she had both affinities while Naruto only had the affinity to wind, so fire jutsu were harder for him to learn. Were it not for the Five Pronged Seal, it would have been much easier for them, but this had paid off.<p>

Once they had completed their training at the end of the five months, Jiraiya had removed the seals and they saw results of doing months of training with them. They had spent the rest of the day adjusting to the lack of the seals and the results nearly took their breath away.

Everything they had learned had become almost effortless when it came to manipulating their chakra. They had decided to try the Clone Jutsu, at Naruto's suggestion, and actually succeeded. Learning the jutsu was not that awe-inspiring. It was the lowest rank technique after all and virtually useless, but until now it had been impossible to pull off, they would always overload the jutsu with too much chakra no matter how little chakra they tried put into it, now it was easy.

There was about a month and a half until the first year of their training trip was over, both Jinchuriki had grown quite a bit, though they dressed about the same. Naruto was now 5'0 and Fu was 4'9 and both looked slightly older. Right now, their taijutsu skills were high chunin to low jonin level, their kenjutsu was high chunin level, thanks to the five pronged seal their chakra control was kage level and they had mastered their elemental exercises. But they had yet to even begin to learn sealing arts, which were much more difficult than anything else they had learned so far, Naruto wanted to learn them to follow in his parents footsteps and Fu thought it would be useful for a Jinchuriki to know, they had also not yet begun to explore genjutsu, which proved to be something of a challenge since it wasn't their teacher's strongest subject and of course, the better they got, the slower further progress came.

Right now, the two Jinchuriki were standing before their sensei.

"Alright you two, for the rest of the month we're going to take a little break." Jiraiya said.

"What, are you kidding, Pervy Sage? We were just about to start with the strongest jutsu and we haven't started on genjutsu yet." Naruto yelled. He had been kind of excited as they were about to start learning A-rank techniques.

"Which is part of the reason were going to town, genjutsu's not exactly my specialty, I need to get some scrolls if you want to learn it. That aside, if you keep up like this, you'll burn out. You need to learn to take your time to relax." Jiraiya said and Naruto scoffed.

"Sounds to me like you're just making excuses to go do some 'research' Pervy Sage."

"Well of course, I've been stuck here with no young beauties, aside from Fu here for over five months."

"Flattery's not going to help you, Ero-sensei." Fu deadpanned.

"Well, anyway, I'm the teacher here and I say you two need some R and R, so were headed to a nearby town and staying there for two weeks, like it or not."

"Huh… fine. Maybe this will change your mind." Naruto conceded before making a handsign. "Sexy Jutsu!"

With a poof of smoke, Naruto was replaced with a tall, gorgeous blonde girl. Jiraiya barely managed to resist a nosebleed when he sensed Fu's feminine fury, obviously enraged at how degrading this was to women. '_Oh brat, you have no idea how badly you just messed up…_'

"What's wrong, don't like what you see?" the blonde asked. Jiraiya responded by pointing at Fu with a smirk as Fu's fists were trembling and her eyes were shadowed by her hair. Naruto changed back and looked clueless at the cause of her anger.

"Hey, Fu, what's wrong?" Naruto asked, he was answered with a punch to the face that sent him flying into a the valley wall. By the end of the day, between Fu's anger and her explanation why that technique was insulting to women, Naruto had decided to never use that jutsu again… in the presence of a female at least.

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><p>Two days later, Naruto and Fu were wandering the town Jiraiya had spoken of. It was a lively place with many restaurants, bars, inns, casinos and brothels. They had some places for kids too, of course. The experience was good for Fu, this was the first time she stayed in a place where she wasn't treated like a demon in human form by its people for an extended period, Naruto however, constantly felt as if he had forgotten something important. They were currently searching for something to do, they had spent some time at a bar, their shinobi status allowed them to drink and they found they both had a very high tolerance to alcohol, most likely due to their status as Jinchuriki. They each still had 500 Ryo of what their sensei had… left… them… wait a minute.<p>

"Crap!" Naruto suddenly shouted in a state of panic before he created a few dozen shadow clones and scattered, much to the surprise of Fu, who quickly took off after the real one.

"Wait! Naruto! What the hell's wrong with you!" Fu yelled as she chased after the blond.

"We need to find the Pervy Sage, fast! I just remembered something important!"

"What is it? Tell me what's going on!"

"The last time we were in a town like this, Pervy Sage used my money instead of his and left me broke, and he has our wallets!"

"WHAT? How could you forget about something like that?" Fu shouted, panicking as well now. Neither of them had a lot of money, it was all in their wallets. If that old pervert had spent it…

"It was a year ago, get off my back!" Naruto yelled back. "Found him!" he added as one of his clones had found him and dispelled. They ran to a bar and found Jiraiya where you would expect him, on a couch surrounded by women laughing, his face red from alcohol. Both their wallets were on the table, about half empty when they had been full last time they saw them. Both walked forward and picked up their wallets with twitching eyes.

"Hey kids, having fun?" Jiraiya said as if nothing was wrong here.

"Why would you do this?… I've seen your checkbook…" Fu said, eye still twitching as she looked at her wallet.

"Well, what can I say?" Jiraiya said looking sheepish.

"Nothing." Naruto answered as he and Fu both created a dozen shadow clones and Fu and her clones immediately created water swords. They were both sharing the same thought. The old pervert had to pay for using their money, especially when he was rich.

"Hey, hang on a minute." Jiraiya said holding his hands in front of him defensively as the girls wisely chose to run. The pair and their clones attacked without another word, Jiraiya didn't fight back, but he didn't let them hit him either, until a Naruto clone got behind him as he ducked under a slash from a water sword.

"Konohagakure's Most Secret and Sacred Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!" the Naruto clone called out, Jiraiya panicked, recognizing the 'technique' but it was too late and seconds later he was launched into a wall by the assault. Naruto smirked as their clones dispelled while Fu looked on in complete shock for a moment before she doubled over in laughter as Naruto made a V sign with a toothy grin in victory and Jiraiya lay on the floor in pain and mortification.

And so Jiraiya learned to never spend his pupil's money without their consent again…

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><p>It was around 4 PM on the first day of the second week. Naruto and Fu had made a mistake and spent most of their money. Having only 300 Ryo left between them, they walked around aimlessly, trying to find something to do, they considered training for the rest of the day, despite Jiraiya's wishes. As they wandered, they walked by a gambling parlor, there were several young to middle age men inside playing dice.<p>

"Hey, want to play Cho-Han? We might be able to make some more money, at worst, we'll have some fun." Fu said.

"One of these places? Sure, I guess…" Naruto replied. They walked in and all the gamblers turned to them

"Hey kids, want in?" One of the gamblers asked. "Got any money?"

"A little, this enough?" Naruto asked showing what they had left.

"Sure kid, we'll take whatever money you got." He said with a smirk.

An hour later and Fu's eye was twitching, she had made 300 Ryo, Naruto on the other hand was laughing with a grin on his face, he had taken everything from the people he was playing against but the cloths off their backs.

"You've got to be kidding…" Fu said below her breath as she looked at Naruto and his winnings.

"Damn it, who's the idiot who let these two in here?" one of the gamblers asked, the others grumbling similar thoughts.

"Hey, Naruto, ever been to a casino?" Fu asked, getting an idea.

"Huh? Oh yeah once, when we were looking for Grandma Tsunade, it was after Pervy Sage spent all my money, but I won it all back with one coin."

"You won enough to fill that wallet of yours… with one coin?" Fu asked.

"Yeah, wh-" Naruto suddenly stopped talking before he and Fu smiled evilly.

"Hey guys, where's the nearest casino?" Fu asked with a sweet smile.

Everyone there thought the same thing. '_Poor bastards… they'll never know what hit em…_'

Late that night, Jiraiya returned to their hotel room, sober but reeking of alcohol, to find Naruto and Fu with identical smiles on their faces.

"Huh, looks like you two had fun today, anything exciting happen, don't tell me I missed out on a research opportunity from you." Jiraiya said with a grin as he saw their smiles. They both turned to him, grinning at some shared secret while Naruto held back laughter. "Alright, what's got you so happy?" he asked before Naruto pulled out a sealing scroll and promptly opened it… and in a poof of smoke, about 30 million Ryo in cases appeared. "WHA- WHAT THE? WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? WHAT DID YOU DO?"

One explanation later.

"You made all this at a casino?" Jiraiya asked in disbelief. "So this is where Tsunade's luck went…"

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><p>Back in Konoha, Tsunade was sitting at a small round table with Anko and a fair amount of money between them, both holding cards when she sneezed.<p>

"Someone must be talking about me." She noted.

"Probably the old pervert." Anko stated with a smirk.

"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune yelled as she ran into the room. "You shouldn't be doing this, I thought you'd stop when you became Hokage."

"Oh, lighten up Shizune, I'm only playing for small change."

"Yeah, but that's enough for dango, so hurry up and let me take your money." Anko said, still smirking.

"Aren't you cocky, this should wipe that smirk off your face." Tsunade said as she showed her hand, 4 tens and a queen. She reached for the money but is stopped by Anko.

"Not so fast Lady Hokage, straight flush." Anko said with a slight mocking tone as she showed her hand, an ace to a five. Shizune sighed and face palmed and Tsunade twitched. Shizune wished her master would learn to stop gambling. She really didn't understand it. Winning can be a thrill, but Tsunade almost never did, and when she did win it was usually a bad omen.

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><p>'…<em>speaking of her, I'd better be far away when she hears about this… but I should send a shadow clone, she's bound to vent on the brat, should be quite the show.<em>' Jiraiya thought to himself.

"Wait, what did you mean just now?" Fu asked.

"Huh, oh about Tsunade? Ever hear of the Legendary Sucker?" Jiraiya asked with a smirk. His teammate's misfortune always amused him.

"…" Fu was speechless upon finding out the Legendary Kunoichi and medic-nin and the Legendary Sucker, the woman who would gamble all her money away knowing she always lost were the same person before she noticed something and thought of all the S-class ninja she knew of. "… Do all really powerful ninja have quirks and eccentricities like this?" Fu asked, a bit afraid since she hoped to be an S class ninja one day. Jiraiya cupped his chin in thought.

"… Come to think of it, pretty much. Not all but most. Maybe it has something to do with the crazy training you need to reach this level… or maybe most people, with a few exceptions like the Fourth Hokage, need to be a little crazy to reach their full potential… but typically, the stronger you are, the greater the chance for some quirk or form of mental instability…" Jiraiya replied, much to the pair's horror. Were it not for the fact they had the Akatsuki after them, Naruto and Fu may have started reconsidering their life goals after hearing this. "But enough of such thoughts, I for one, am going to bed. Oh right, first, what do you plan to do with that money?"

"Huh, well, I hadn't really though of it, I guess I'll get a house, some ramen…" Naruto trailed off.

"And you, Fu?" Jiraiya said. Fu shrugged in response. "Well, I've got an idea."

"What are you planning, Pervy Sage." Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh don't worry, you both want to be swordsmen right?" they nodded, not sure what that has to do with it. "Well, after we're done relaxing here, I think we'll head to Takumi Village."

"Really! Alright, I bet they'll make us something awesome!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly, his readings had told him of Takumi Village, the Village of Artisans. They made the highest quality ninja tools and weapons in all the nations, they were even capable of creating weapons of the same grade as the blades of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Fu seemed excited too.

"Yeah, if we can convince them to make weapons for you. Anyway, that's after our downtime, now let's get some sleep."

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><p>A week later, they had had their fun and were just about ready to begin their training again, but as Jiraiya said, they would take a side trip to Takumi Village. Naruto had gone to another casino and took for a small fortune… before he and by association, Fu and Jiraiya were banned. Making a total of 70 million Ryo which they opened an account for. Currently, they had just set foot in Takumi Village.<p>

Takumi Village was a small village that lay deep in a bamboo forest. They walked through the village and were looked at oddly by the people, not nearly as bad as the looks the two Jinchuriki used to get in their old villages but it was still affecting them, reminding them of times they wished they could forget.

"Ero-sensei, why are they looking at us like this?" Fu asked.

"Probably because the ninja villages have been nothing but trouble for them." Jiraiya replied.

"Huh?" Naruto responded

"The people of Takumi are freelance weapon smiths, they don't have any real alliance with anyone and few ninja. They sell their tools to anyone who can pay."

"What's wrong with that? Sounds like a good deal to me." Naruto asked.

"It is… in times of peace." Jiraiya replied seriously. Before Naruto could ask what he meant, the old man stopped. They stood before a unique smithy, far more elaborate than it's competitors. "Alright, here we are. This is the smithy of Seimei, named after the man who founded this village, and the best weapon smith alive." Jiraiya said.

"Why do I get the feeling there's a catch?" Fu asked.

"Good instincts, if he doesn't like you, he won't make you a weapon." Jiraiya said as he knocked on the door.

"Come in…" a gruff voice said. Jiraiya opened the door and they stepped inside what seemed like a cross between a craftsmen's workshop, smithy and laboratory. Inside was a tall, lean old man in his late sixties. He had a triangular beard, shaggy gray hair and onyx eyes. He wore a gray shirt with matching pants, wooden geta sandals and a dark purple long coat "I guess you're here for a weapon."

"You got it, but not for me." Jiraiya said as he stepped aside and indicated his pupils.

"Huh? Are you kidding? These brats? You think their worthy of wielding a blade of this village, let alone one of mine? Don't make me laugh." Naruto growled and Fu narrowed her eyes.

"Don't underestimate us old man." Naruto started before taking a step forward, which seemed to amuse the old man.

"Hey now, don't tell me your going to attack me. Our village doesn't train ninja brat, we only learn to manipulate chakra for our craft. Beating on an old man with little skill as a ninja isn't exactly going to prove your worth." Seimei said, although said this in a mocking tone, as if he believed he would win in a fight between them. "Speaking of being an old man, I can't do all the work around here at my age and my apprentice left on a delivery, if you help out around here till he gets back in a few days, I'll consider it." Naruto was about to object when Jiraiya answered for him.

"Fine, there all yours."

"What? Pervy Sage are you serious?" Naruto asked indignantly.

"Look, if you want the best weapon, he's your guy, besides, think of it as strength training, no doubt he'll have you do some heavy lifting and I'll reapply your weight seals." Jiraiya replied with a smirk and a tone that said that though he was amused, this was final. Naruto grumbled.

"Ero-sensei, what are you going to do while were working on this?" Fu asked with narrowed eyes, sure he was just going to visit hot springs or use his transparency jutsu.

"Oh, don't you worry about me, there's plenty I can do in my spare time. Have fun now, you two." Jiraiya said as he walked off.

Twenty minutes later, they stood outside the shop were ready to begin.

"Alright brats." the old man said as he walked to a large open container, almost empty aside from a few pieces of charcoal. "Your first job is to cut bamboo from the forest and use it to make charcoal and fill this back up, can't work the forge if I don't have any fuel."

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><p>Three days later and the pair were questioning whether or not this was worth it. Seimei had them restock supplies, make repairs, basically a series of D-rank missions. As if that weren't bad enough, the guy treated them like dirt. Finally, Naruto had had enough.<p>

"That's it! I'm not doing this crap anymore, I'll get a weapon somehwhere else." Naruto shouted as he threw down a load of bricks he was carrying and crossed his arms.

"Not from this village, you won't, I'm the closest to a leader this place has. I say the word and no one here would make a blade for you or your friend." Seimei said, shocking Naruto and Fu.

"What the hell's your problem, old man! You and everyone else here been acting like we brought the plague or something." Naruto yelled.

"Because your villages bring us nothing but war and death!" Seimei yelled, shocking the pair.

"What do you mean?" Fu asked, curious of what Seimei meant.

"In times of peace, everything's fine. We sell our weapons, some of the finest in all the continent to everyone. You ninja take those tools for granted, you show us no respect for our work, offer us no aid. When war comes, we are targeted so that the enemy doesn't use our weapons against them, even though we more than likely have made weapons for both sides. We have no true alliances, so we're left to fend for ourselves, and if we request aid from any village, we're reminded of our neutrality, regardless of what we've done for that village." Seimei explained, much to the pairs shock. Both take on sad, pensive expressions. "Our village has come close to destruction many times, and when peace arrives again, you ask for us to make weapons for you, when you attacked us unprovoked or denied us the help we needed. If we did actually make an alliance, all that village's enemies would make it a priority to destroy us. Your ninja villages have brought us nothing but trouble." the old man said before he began to walk away.

"I'll help…" Naruto said quietly.

"Huh?"

"I'll help your village whenever you need it… after I become Hokage!" Naruto said with determination.

"You want to be Hokage? Heh, as if a brat like you could ever hope to be a kage."

"Don't underestimate me, I don't quit and don't run, I'll become Hokage and protect the village… and I'll help your village whenever you need it " Naruto declared. "No one should have to watch as those precious to them die… and as Hokage, I'll do everything in my power to help you, for everything you've done for us and I never go back on my work, because that's my nindo, my ninja way!"

Fu, who's face was slightly tinged red, and Seimei said nothing for a few moments, Fu's respect for the boy had risen a bit from hearing this. After a moment, Seimei scoffed.

"… Huh, whatever you say kid…" the master weapon smith said as he walked away. "Finish with that, your done for the day." he turned around a corner to find Jiraiya leaning against it. Jiraiya stopped him as he walked by.

"Interesting kid huh?" Jiraiya said.

"Tch… why'd you bring such a loudmouth brat with you, like he'll actually follow through with any of that."

"Don't sell the kid short. Being Hokage is his life's dream. He lived a harsh life, he was an orphan shunned by everyone for something he had no control over. But no matter what happened, he never gave up. Kid's loyal to a fault and he always keeps his word, he'll follow through, provided his hotheadedness doesn't get him killed that is."

"…" Seimei doesn't respond and a moment later, he walked away.

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><p>The next day, they were called to Seimei's workshop. A young man wearing something similar to Seimei had joined them. He had brown eyes and hair.<p>

"Ah, you must be the ones who helped my master when I was away, you have my thanks." The young man said sincerely, loyal to his teacher and aware of his advanced age.

"Your welcome." Fu said respectfully.

"Heh, yeah, now let's get out of here." Naruto said as he turned to the door.

"I thought you came here for weapons, kid." the old man said, surprising the two teens and his apprentice.

"Huh?" Naruto intelligently responded.

"I've decided to forge weapons for you two, so tell me what you want already." Seimei said. After a brief moments of celebration from Naruto, after which Seimei threatened to change his mind. They told him they wanted swords.

'_Master Seimei hasn't specially forged a weapon for anyone in years, that these two were able to convince him…_' the apprentice thought.

"Alright." Seimei said as he brought out two unique pieces of black metal. "Here. Focus your chakra in these." Naruto and Fu did as told. "Good, now there's just the matter of payment, 10 million."

"What?" Fu exclaimed while Naruto yelled "Are you serious? No way these things are-"

"Naruto, Fu, stop complaining. Brat, remind me how much you won at the casinos. Trust me, it'll be worth it." Jiraiya said.

"It better be." Naruto grumbled as he got out his checkbook.

"Yeah, or I'll do that 'One Thousand Years of Death' thing… with my water sword." Fu added, Even if it wasn't her money, she didn't want Naruto to waste this kind of money on her.

Jiraiya paled slightly, knowing she'd do it and Naruto would help her. If he knew it was coming it wouldn't be too hard to avoid, but he had to sleep sometime!

Seimei grinned as he was given the check.

"Wonderful, your swords will be ready in a month."

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><p>For the rest on the month, they returned to the valley and trained. They learned some new jutsu and their kenjutsu skill improved. Jiraiya had also began to teach them genjutsu as he had bought some scrolls while they were with Seimei from the nearby Tanigakure, which they found surprisingly easy, likely due to their unique chakra control training.<p>

They had just arrived back at Takumi, they made their way to Seimei's smithy and knocked on the door. They got permission and went in.

"Well, it's about time you got back. I finished three days ago." Seimei said as he walked deeper into the workshop to retrieve their weapons.

"I haven't forgotten my threat, Ero-sensei." Fu said menacingly. Jiraiya put on a strong front but he was very afraid of her threat.

"Here ya go." The weapons maker said upon his return carrying two swords. Both were jian, both about 28 inches long in brown scabbards. The first had black wrapping around the handle and a green circular gem in it's gold guard. The second also had a gold guard and white wrapping with a green gem in the same location as the first.

"Whoa…" Naruto said as he and Fu took their swords. Fu was speechless as she examined hers, the one with the black wrapping.

"Boy, your blade is called the Hisho Taichi (in English: Soaring Long Sword). With it, you will be able to freely manipulate the wind. Once you master it, you'll be able to use most of your wind jutsu with just a swipe of the sword and chakra manipulation, as well as fire blades of wind, all with minimal chakra. It will also allow you to counter and negate, or even redirect wind attacks."

"Awesome…" Naruto said in awe as he drew the sword and looked at its blue blade.

"And you, girl, your sword is called Okibi no Yaiba (Sword of Blazing Fire). Basically the same, but it uses fire and it can also absorb fire based attacks."

"That's great and all… but I don't have the fire element."

"I know that, that's why I had you focus your chakra into that metal. The swords can convert normal chakra into their element. Just channel normal chakra through it and it will produce fire as powerful as any ninjutsu. Also, you can channel other elements through the blade, like lightning for instance, for normal effect."

"Well, I gotta say, you live up to your reputation." Fu said as she drew her sword and looked at the black blade.

"Like I need you to tell me that." Seimei said as he walked away. "Hey… I never got your names."

"Huh, oh sorry, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the Future Hokage." Naruto said.

"Fu, formerly of Taki." Fu said.

"Heh, I'll remember those names… try not to get yourselves killed out there." the old man said as he disappeared deeper into the smithy. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that boy would live up to his dreams and that he would be hearing both their names again.

"Alright kids, seeing as those weapons are dangerous, let's head back to the valley. Once you get the hang of those swords, we'll get started on your tenants chakra. Then I'll start teaching you sealing jutsu." Jiraiya said to his students.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope I did that conversation between Seimei and Naruto well. <strong>

**Please review. Remember, if you think I did something wrong or poorly, don't just say that I suck or something, tell me what I did wrong so that I can improve.**


	5. Chapter 5

**One of my reviewers last chapter mentioned I referred to their elemental chakra training as nature chakra training, as in senjutsu. In case anyone else thinks this, I meant nature chakra training as in nature transformation, not sage techniques. I'm currently debating on whether or not to go back and change my wording. Also, I slightly misspelled the name of the weight technique Jiraiya used on them. It's called Four Limbs Weighting Seal, not Weighted.**

**Anyway, this chapter, like the last one, is pretty much filler and training, though they will learn to control their Biju's chakra and about their summons. Good news though, after the next chapter, they return to Konoha at last.**

**To be honest, I don't really like this chapter. I don't think I did the meeting with the summons well. I also think I may have been too vague with their abilities, I'm kind of doing that on purpose, I want you to have an idea of what they can do but otherwise keep their abilities and jutsu a secret till later but I may have overdone it.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>Two months after they had received their swords, Naruto and Fu were sparring with Jiraiya. The pair had raised their skills with taijutsu and kenjutsu to low jonin level and trained with their swords abilities. They had also learned a few new jutsu with their elements as well as a few other techniques such as the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu. Naruto had also begun to learn space-time jutsu to follow in his father's footsteps, but it was the same problem that they had with genjutsu, Jiraiya wasn't skilled in that branch of ninja arts aside from the Summoning Jutsu and he had made little headway in the art. Their skill with genjutsu had improved and they could now use it in an actual fight, though not to particularly great effect yet. Still, they knew even a weak genjutsu could turn a battle if used correctly and at the right time.<p>

Jiraiya blocked Fu's Okibi no Yaiba with his kunai, the two traded blows for a bit before Fu jumped back to avoid an upward slash and lunged forward, her sword suddenly consumed in fire as she slashed it through the air, unleashing a wave of fire. Jiraiya jumped over the fire and Fu only for Naruto to burst from the ground with an upward slash where he landed. The toad sage leaned back, barely avoiding the blade before jumping back and running though hand signs as Naruto charged towards him.

"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!" Jiraiya yelled, his hair transformed into countless sharp needles and encasing him completely, Naruto stabbed at Jiraiya only for the blade to clash against the needle armor. Naruto jumped backwards into the air, recognizing this attack pattern.

"Ninja Art: Hell Needles!" countless needles fired from the armor at the blond, who swiped his sword, creating a gust of wind that blew the needles away. He landed near Fu who thrust her blade forward as he slashed his.

"Tempest Wind!" "Searing Blaze!" Naruto and Fu yelled out, respectively. Naruto's slash created a powerful gust of wind while a stream of fire erupted from Fu's sword, creating a firestorm. Jiraiya cursed at this as he disappeared in the blaze. Naruto and Fu looked on, both knowing they didn't catch the pervert.

The blaze cleared to reveal Jiraiya was nowhere in sight. Naruto and Fu skipped back as they detected something beneath them and Jiraiya jumped out of the ground.

"Earth Style: Dark Swamp!" Jiraiya called out and the ground Naruto and Fu landed on turned to chakra infused mud. The pair land in the mud and despite their struggles, sink into the ground. Jiraiya smirked as he watched the pair struggle.

"Heh, looks like it's still too soon for you to face me head on." Jiraiya said, only for his smirk to fade when the two grinned before turning to smoke.

"Lashing Wind!" A whirling gust of wind carves a path in the ground towards the toad sage from the tree line behind him.

"Damn!" Jiraiya jumped out of the way of the blast, right where the pair wanted him. Jiraiya landed and suddenly, a swarm of insects erupted from the ground and the Toad Sage yelled in shock as he is consumed by the swarm before a blade of wind cut into him and he to burst into smoke.

Naruto and Fu looked where the sage once stood as they walked back into the clearing before smiling.

"Alright, you two." the real Jiraiya said as he approached the pair who turned to him. "You win, but don't get cocky just because you beat my shadow clone. Get some rest, tomorrow, we'll start training you to draw on your Biju's chakra. Take the rest of the day off."

* * *

><p>That night, Naruto and Fu talked while they sat around a fire at their camp and Fu noticed Naruto had been quiet, thinking about something intensely.<p>

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Fu asked concerned.

"Huh? What do you mean, nothing's wrong." Naruto replied with a fake smile, which didn't fool the green haired girl for a moment.

"Naruto, I know a fake smile when I see one." She said and his smile faded. "What's wrong, does it have to do with the Kyuubi?"

"Yeah… it's… there's something I haven't told you." Naruto said before telling her as much as he knew about the deaths of his parents. Fu was shocked to hear Naruto was the son of the Fourth Hokage and about the deal he made with the Kyuubi. This also intrigued the Nanabi. The Biju could hear and see everything their hosts could, although they could only converse when their host wished it, when asleep, when they felt intense negative emotion or when trying to channel their Biju's chakra. The Biju's feelings on each other, with a few exceptions, ranged from mild distaste to outright hatred, but they recognized each others power. Though the Nanabi hated the Kyuubi, she also recognized he was much more powerful than her. That the Kyuubi would admit to needing help to kill a human was troubling. "So tomorrow, we'll find out who's after us… and I'll find out who's responsible for what happened that night."

"I see… hey, Naruto…" Fu said getting his attention, wanting to get his mind off that. "I don't think I ever asked, but, what are your friends like?"

"Huh, Oh, well there's Shikamaru, he's the only one of us who made chunin, he's lazy and he's always complaining about something and would like to watch clouds all day, but he's really smart. There's Kiba, he's louder than I am and acts like he's in charge, but he's really loyal and always has his dog with him."

"He's an Inuzuka, isn't he?" Fu asked, that was one of the clans Jiraiya had made them read about.

"Yeah. Then there's Ino, she was always thinking about boys and dieting-"

"A fan girl?" Fu asked with a slight scowl.

"Yeah, but she was getting out of it when I left. She always speaks her mind, she's confident and has a kinder side. Then there's Choji, he's an Akimichi so he's fat, but don't call him that… actually, never call any Akimichi that… he's always eating, but he's kind and friendly and knows a lot about food…" He went on to briefly describe Iruka, Neji, Lee, Shino (who he didn't know much about but had Fu's interest due to his insects) and Tenten (who he also didn't know much about but felt was worth mentioning).

"There's Hinata, she's kind and determined, but she's really quiet and she always turns away when I look at her."

"What do you mean?" Fu asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Well, whenever I look at her, she turns away and blushes." Naruto explained and a look of realization crossed Fu's face. "What?"

"Nothing." Fu replied, feeling slightly jealous of the girl.

"Anyway, then there's… Sakura…" Naruto said, looking to the ground.

"She's your teammate right? The one you like?" Fu asked and he nodded. "What's wrong?"

"It's just… she likes someone else…"

"You're sure?" Fu asked and Naruto began to explain the relationship between them, which led to her asking about Sasuke, to say she was shocked by what she heard would be an understatement. Fu knew of the Uchiha massacre and of the survivors, but didn't know the two were brothers and she was horrified by what Sasuke did to Naruto at the Valley of the End.

"Naruto… why do you want to save him if he rammed two lightning blades through your chest? I understand wanting to save your friend, but it sounds like he wants nothing to do with you or the village. Is it because you made a promise to Sakura?"

"That's part of it… but… what kind of Hokage would I be if I couldn't save one friend?" Naruto asked and Fu's eyes widened slightly. "I knew, since I first met him that he was full of hatred. He glared at me, with the same look I got everywhere but, he wasn't looking at me. He looked at everything like that. But, after we became a team, he changed. He started to open up to me and Sakura and risked his life to protect us. He even once took and hit for me we both thought would kill us. He and my team became like family, he was like a brother to me. But then… Itachi did something to his mind, that and Orochimaru's Cursed Seal… changed him. I don't care how hard it'll be, I won't abandon my friend. Not only that but…" He said and Fu listened intently. "I know that if I had ever given in to the glares, the hatred… I could easily have ended up like him." Naruto finished and a melancholy mood fell over both of them, each knowing they could have easily had their lives ruled by hatred too.

"I understand wanting to save him from living in hatred and loneliness like we used to… but… he's not like us. We lived like that because everyone shunned us. He abandoned those who cared about him and chose to live like that willingly." Fu said sadly.

"Yeah… but still I can't abandon him." Naruto stated.

"Naruto… what would you do if he became a threat to Konoha?" Fu asked and Naruto's head shot up to look at her. "I know what you're going to say, but just consider it. If he became a threat to Konoha, what would you do? You asked me what kind of Hokage would you be if you couldn't save one friend, but look at what happened when Jiraiya and the Third Hokage let Orochimaru go. A friend in danger from enemies is one thing, but what kind of Hokage would you be if you fail to protect the lives of your people and comrades trying to save one friend who lost his way or because you were unwilling to stop him when you could have?" Naruto looked pensive as he stared into the fire, thinking of what Fu had said. He remembered what Jiraiya had told him. Had he wanted to, Jiraiya could have killed Orochimaru after he left the village, just like he could have killed Sasuke had he not redirected his attack to scratch his forehead protector during their final clash at the Valley of the End. Because the Third couldn't kill his ex-student and Jiraiya couldn't kill his former friend, Orochimaru had been free to commit all the crimes and atrocities he has since. Fu gave him a few moments to think about this before she spoke up again. "You know… it will probably never be the same even if you do bring him back."

"… I know." Naruto replied and they were silent for a few moments. He had thought about that a lot recently and even if Tsunade and Konoha forgave Sasuke for leaving and didn't execute him or lock him up, what would keep him from leaving again?

"Why do you keep chasing after Sakura, if you know she loves Sasuke?"

"Pervy Sage asked me the same thing."

"Well, maybe you should move on… besides, it sounds like she thinks of you like a sibling to me."

"Maybe…"

"Anyway, it's getting late, we should turn in." Fu said, getting up. She was a little disappointed with how that conversation turned out. She was trying to get his mind off unpleasant things and cheer him up, but it didn't turn out that well. If anything, he had more on his mind now. Still, she knew she had made good points.

"You go ahead, I'll stay up a while longer." Naruto said. As he thought about it, he realized the girl was right. He had actually thought of this a few times before over the past year. It was somewhat hypocritical to think about how the Third and Jiraiya could have stopped Orochimaru when he let Sasuke go for the same reasons. By the time he went to bed, he decided he would do everything he could to bring Sasuke back because right now his only target was his brother, but if he ever went too far or if he ever turned his hatred on Konoha, he would do everything in his power to make him see reason… but if it came down to it, he would have to do what was best for the village, even if it meant breaking his promise to Sakura.

He had also long since realized that he and Sakura would likely never be together. '_Maybe Fu and the Pervy Sage are right… I still want Sakura to be happy, but I shouldn't give my heart to someone who doesn't feel the same…_'

He was glad Fu was with him. Over the last year, the two had become close friends and she gave him good advice. She rarely tried to tell him what to do and instead usually told him facts, asked questions and let him reach his own conclusions and she usually knew just what to say. He didn't think anyone understood him better than she did.

He stayed up a little longer, thinking about his bonds with Sasuke, Sakura and Fu as well as what he would learn the next day before he got up, put out the fire and went to bed.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Fu stood before Jiraiya. It was midday in the clearing and the skies were cloudy. Today they would begin training to use the power of their Biju.<p>

"Alright kids, we're going to start training with your Biju's powers, well, actually I'll help Fu since the Kyuubi has apparently decided to help Naruto." Jiraiya said. All he would do involving Naruto's training was watch his progress to make sure the Biju wasn't deceiving them and suppress the Kyuubi's chakra if he lost control. "Speaking of which, before you start training, Naruto, I want you to talk to the Kyuubi about what happened the night of his attack. Though I'm sure you already planned to. He may be willing to tell you now I need to know if my hunch was right." Jiraiya said seriously.

"Alright… who do you think it is, Pervy Sage?" Naruto replied.

"… Madara… Madara Uchiha." Jiraiya said grimly, shocking his students. They had read about him in one of the history books Jiraiya had them read (or forced to read in Naruto's case).

"Madara… but he's one of the founders of Konoha, right? The one who betrayed the village? How could he still be alive?" Fu asked.

"I don't know… but he's the only one I can think of who would have the ability and motive to pull off an attack like that and that the Kyuubi would hate so much but be unable to kill."

"Alright Pervy Sage…" Naruto said before getting in a meditative position and entering his mindscape.

* * *

><p>When he opened his eyes, he once again he stood before the cage of the Kyuubi.<p>

"**I was wondering when you would show up, boy…**" the Kyuubi said as he looked down on his container. "**It's been over a year since we made the bargain, though I must admit, you've spent your time well…**" He had to admit that the boy's progression, as well as that of the Nanabi's host had been impressive… for a human anyway.

"Yeah yeah, before we get started-"

"**I heard your conversation brat… the sage is correct… the one who broke your mother's seal… who I need you to kill is indeed Madara Uchiha.**" Kyuubi said, causing Naruto's eyes to widen.

"But… how is he still alive?"

"**There are ways to extend one's life… you should already know that from the snake.**" Naruto's eyes narrowed, knowing who he is referring to. "**As for how, I do not know… I too believed he had died fighting your First Hokage until he appeared before me that night. Before I train you, you should tell your friends of this. Like me, the Nanabi is rational, unlike some of our brethren. She will likely agree to help the girl if that man desires us. As much as I hate to admit it, none of us can face that bastard with any hope of success.**"

"Before I go… tell me exactly what happened the night I was born." the Kyuubi seemed to debate this for a moment.

"**Very well.**" Kyuubi then explained the events of that night as he saw them. How when Naruto was born he was trying to break out of the seal and that just as the Fourth Hokage was going to repair Kushina's seal, Madara, though the Kyuubi didn't know who it was at the time, appeared. How he killed the mid wives and guards and held Naruto hostage and how Minato was forced to teleport away to save them when he found explosive tags attached to his blanket. How while he was away Madara had placed Kushina in a seal formation and soon afterward, the Kyuubi fell under his control and after that it was a blur to the fox demon. The next thing he knew, he was attacking Konoha and, since they were attacking him, he continued his rampage until the Fourth Hokage teleported them both to his safe house and Kushina held him down to be sealed and after one last attempt to free himself he was sealed by the Fourth.

Naruto was proud of his father and amazed by his mother. His admiration for them soared when he heard his mother was able to hold down something as powerful as the Kyuubi in the condition she was in and that their last act saved his life. On the other hand, his hatred for the ancient Uchiha reached an all new high. That he used him as a hostage, when he was a newborn, showed that the man was pure evil.

"Why did you continue to attack Konoha when you were released from Madara's control?" Kyuubi smirked.

"**To put it simply, it was fun.**" Naruto scowled. "**That aside, I was being attacked. I retaliated.**" The Kyuubi explained and Naruto looked slightly surprised.

"So, if they weren't attacking you would have left?" Naruto asked incredulously. It was hard to believe that the Kyuubi, who he had been told was and had so far proven himself to be a mass of hate and destruction, would just leave.

"**Perhaps. It was amusing and I have destroyed and killed simply because I've felt like it and I feel no remorse or pity, but I have better things to do with my time than wipe out a pathetic village.**" Kyuubi responded. "**Now go, return when you are ready to train.**"

* * *

><p>When Naruto opened his eyes to find Fu and Jiraiya looking at him. Both wished to know if Jiraiya's assumption was right. If it was, they may have to up their training.<p>

"Good to see you're back, so…?" Jiraiya said.

"You were right Pervy Sage." Naruto replied, looking at the ground with narrowed eyes. Fu's eyes widened and Jiraiya's narrowed. "It was Madara…" Naruto then began to explain what the fox told him. Fu felt sorry Naruto lost his parents in such a way and Jiraiya was once again kicking himself for not being there and promising himself he wouldn't fail his new students like he did his sensei, Minato, Kushina and the trio from Ame. "Kyuubi said the Nanabi might help you. He said she won't want to fight Madara anymore than he would."

"Wouldn't surprise me, it's not exactly smart to fight an opponent who can control you at will." Jiraiya said. "You ready Fu?" Fu nodded before she too entered her mindscape.

* * *

><p>Fu found herself in her mindscape, a dark cave with dripping stalactites standing before a large cage. Inside was an enormous blue armored beetle with six wing-like tails along with a seventh normal tail coming out of the end of its abdomen.<p>

"**So, Madara is alive… and likely the leader of this 'Akatsuki'… to think he survived all these years.**" Nanabi said, still surprised.

"You met him?" Fu asked.

"**No… but I am aware of him and his abilities… Kyuubi is right, loathe as I am to admit that and that I must do this but… I will help you… I can have no true freedom so long as Madara lives and I cannot face him myself.**" Fu looked surprised; she hadn't really expected her to help. "**Return to your friends and inform them you have my aid.**" Nanabi instructed.

* * *

><p>After Fu gave the news to Naruto and Jiraiya, the pair returned to their Biju, they found that training to use their chakra was much more difficult than everything else they had done so far. Calling on the chakra wasn't really that hard, especially after Jiraiya loosened Naruto's seal, what was hard was controlling themselves once they entered their tailed states and the less control they had, the more the chakra damaged them. Worse still, channeling large amounts of their Biju's chakra, enough to enter the one tailed state, poisoned and crippled their clones, ensuring they wouldn't be able to train in anything else and had to focus exclusively on their tenants' chakra. Still, with their Biju willingly, albeit begrudgingly, helping them, they made good progress. Two months after beginning their training, they could enter the two tailed state at will and control themselves, they began to lose control at three tails and were warned they would lose control at four for now. However, they found even though they had control, the chakra still poisoned their clones, crippling them and at high enough levels dispelling them. Their Biju informed them that unless they gained full control, which they didn't tell them how to do just that they weren't ready, this effect would continue. They could, however, still use clones with their initial Jinchuriki forms. Jiraiya later informed them, much to their horror, that they would have to defeat their Biju within their mindscape in order to completely control their power but that there was something they had to do beforehand if they were to have any hope of winning but he didn't know what that requirement was.<p>

After another month, they increased their control to the third tail and could remain somewhat in control in their four tailed state… well, they could tell friend from foe anyway, luckily for Jiraiya who knew that even he would have trouble against those forms without Sage Mode. They had been told by their Biju that their current four tailed states were actually a second version of their chakra cloaks and they automatically transformed into them because of their lack of control.

The pair stood before Jiraiya in another clearing next to a river, their Biju chakra training had pretty much destroyed the area they had been training in until now. Jiraiya had gotten out a sealing scroll for reasons they didn't yet know.

"Ok, kids, say goodbye because you won't be seeing each other for the next two months." Jiraiya said, shocking the pair.

"What? What are you talking about Pervy Sage, where are we going?" Naruto asked.

"It's about time you get better acquainted with your summons and what they can do, so you and I will be spending the next two months with the toads while Fu learns from the chameleons." Jiraiya explained. "In addition to allowing us to summon them, summoning contracts allow them to summon us to their home. So, once you've said your goodbyes, I want you to summon messengers and tell them about our plans. After that, they'll reverse summon us to their homes."

"Ok…" Fu said as she turned to Naruto. "Well, guess I'll see you in two months." Fu said sadly. Naruto smiled somewhat sadly at her.

"Don't worry about it… these two months will be over before you know it." Fu returned Naruto's smile. "Besides, I'm sure we'll learn a lot of awesome techniques."

"Yeah, you're right." Fu said. "You ready?" Naruto nodded.

"Alright then, go ahead." Jiraiya said and the two made the hand signs.

"Summoning Jutsu!" the pair slammed their hands to the ground and in poofs of smoke, a fairly large (by normal standards) light green toad and brown chameleon appeared.

"What's up?" the chameleon asked.

"I need you two to contact the Great Toad Sages and the head of the chameleons." Jiraiya said. "I want my two students here to learn how to use your abilities and work with you, so I want them to train with you guys for the next two months." Jiraiya explained and the summons nodded. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, there should be a portal in the chameleon's forest that leads to the Land of Necks like the toads have a portal that leads to Konoha, that right?" Jiraiya asked the chameleon.

"Yeah. Since the country and the Kubisaki clan have been destroyed, I guess well connect it to your village later, but for now, yes, the portal leads to the Land of Necks."

"Good, ok, that's all." Jiraiya said and the two summons nodded and vanished. Jiraiya then walked to Fu and handed her the scroll. "Alright, Fu, this scroll contains instructions on what I want you to do while you're with the chameleons, some techniques, knowledge of sealing arts and a map with the place and time we'll meet."

"Ok, so wh-" Fu began before she disappeared in a poof of smoke. Naruto's eyes widened but before he could say anything, he and Jiraiya vanished as well.

* * *

><p>When Naruto opened his eyes, he and Jiraiya were in a breath taking mountain range with a rich and beautiful land.<p>

"So, your Little Jiraiya's new pupil eh?" said an old male toad standing before him.

"Huh? Who are you, grandpa toad?" Naruto asked and the toad chuckled at the name. "And why are you calling Pervy Sage 'little'?" Jiraiya grimaced when the toad heard Naruto refer to him like this. The toad laughed when he heard this.

"Pervy Sage! That fits him perfectly!" the toad said, still laughing.

"Naruto, be mindful of who you're speaking to. This is Fukusaku, the head of the toads and the one who taught me the sage arts." Jiraiya scolded a shocked Naruto.

"He reminds me a lot of you when you were young, Little Jiraiya." Fukusaku said with a smile. "Though he lacks your perverted side."

"You're the one who taught Pervy Sage, huh? Hey, what are sage arts anyway?"

"Well, it's a little early to teach you and you don't really fit the requirements yet, but there's no harm in explaining them to you." Fukusaku replied before he began to explain senjutsu to Naruto.

* * *

><p>At the same time, Fu reappeared in a lush forest brimming with insect life, standing before Shiromari.<p>

"**It's been a long time, Fu. So, Riku tells me you wish to train with us for a while.**" the chameleon boss said.

"Yeah, for the next two months. How've you been?"

"**Good, thank you again for allowing me to finally return to my family.**"

"So, what can you tell me about you guys and what can Ilearn from you? Daichi didn't really know much."

"**I've been told the two you've been traveling with have the toad contract. Well, we don't have anything like their senjutsu, but we can teach you some unique jutsu, how to imitate our camouflage abilities and how to work with us and use our abilities.**" Shiromari said.

* * *

><p>Three days into his training, Naruto was laying on his back staring at the night sky. He had been amazed by what he learned of Sage Mode and senjutsu, though they didn't start teaching him yet. Surprisingly enough, he understood what they were talking about without them having to dumb things down or create analogies. He had to admit, Jiraiya's insistence on having his clones read and memorize all those books was paying off, he knew that before that, a lot of what Fukusaku said would have completely gone over his head. He had also thought of ways to use the wind like Sage Mode manipulated natural energy and thought up a few new techniques based on the idea. These ideas were only possible due to their training with their elements with those Five Pronged Seals.<p>

While there, he had a reunion with Gamakichi, Gamatatsu, and Gamabunta and they and Fukusaku had told him of some of the toads other abilities. At the moment, he was wondering how Fu was doing with the chameleons. He found himself missing her more than he thought he would, more than he did Sakura. When he thought about it, he enjoyed being around her more than he did Sakura, too.

"Hey, kid, what are ya doing out here by yourself?" Gamakichi asked. He was probably Naruto's best friend among the toads. He had grown a lot since Naruto last saw him, now being about 4 feet tall.

"Huh, oh, nothing, just thinking."

"About that girl you've been traveling with?" Gamakichi asked with a smirk.

"Wha-what? No."

"Heh heh, yeah right. But I thought that pink haired girl was your main squeeze."

"Yeah, well… she likes someone else so…" Naruto trailed off sadly.

"Ah… man, that's rough." Gamakichi said. "Anyway, what do you think of that girl?"

"Huh? Well… she's been through the same things I have and I like spending time with her. Actually, I think I might like being around her more than Sakura."

"That so?" Gamakichi smirked. "Wait, you mean she's-"

"A Jinchuriki."

"Huh, that's interesting. So, what were you thinking about?"

"It's nothing. Just forget about it."

* * *

><p>Over the next two months, the Jinchuriki met many of the toads and chameleons and learned their specific abilities and how to work with them and use their abilities as well as collaborative techniques. Naruto also had the misfortune of being invited to Ma and Pa's for dinner, Jiraiya wisely made an excuse and got out of going himself. Fu learned to imitate the chameleons camouflage abilities, though even with half her clones focusing on it, it took her a month. Like the chameleons, she could completely hide her presence though sensors and dojutsu users could still find her. She had also found some unique species of insects in the chameleon's forest. Thanks to the Nanabi, unlike the Aburame and Kamizuru clans, she wasn't limited to one species of insect and she took two of those species into her body in addition to the chakra eating beetles she already had. As Jiraiya's scroll instructed, the clones that weren't helping her learn to work with the chameleons and use their abilities were mainly focusing on water jutsu. Fu discovered that, after training with that Five Pronged Seal for five months, she was able to pull water out of the moisture in the air for her jutsu, though it was easier to use bodies of water. Naruto found that, thanks to his skill with wind chakra control he could use some of his sword's abilities, such as creating wind blades, without it. All their other skills showed normal improvement. Jiraiya also made sure Naruto's strategic skills had improved and that he understood what it meant to lead a mission and beat him into the ground some more to increase his combat experience and his ability to read his opponent's moves.<p>

In addition, the pair began to learn sealing jutsu. Naruto under Jiraiya and Fu from Jiraiya's instructions and books on the art included in the scroll the pervert had given her. However, the pair found this to be the hardest thing they had learned next to controlling their tenants' powers. They got basic seals like standard storage seals rather easily but Fu had trouble after that. Naruto had a natural talent for it, not surprising given his heritage, but it was still difficult for him even with his shadow clones.

Today was the day they got back together. Naruto and Jiraiya had been summoned by one of the stronger toads just outside Konoha about a week ago and had made their way to their meeting place, a clearing he selected in the Land of Fire just outside the border of the Land of Rivers. As they walked into the clearing they, found Fu sitting on a stone looking in their direction. Her insects had alerted her to their approach.

"Took you long enough." Fu said with a smirk as she got off the rock and walked to the two. "Good to see you. I missed you guys."

"Same here, Fu." Naruto said with a smile. After their reunion was over, they explained what they had learned to each other.

* * *

><p>Two days later, Naruto and Fu were sparring in a clearing by a river. Their clones were training as usual down the river. Both were wearing Jiraiya's Four Limbs Weighting Seals. The sun was beginning to set and they were just about done for the day, the weight seal beads on their arms already red and ready to come off.<p>

Both their taijutsu styles relied on the speed they had gained while training with the weight seals but Naruto's focused on strength where as Fu used her flexibility to gracefully avoid attacks and counter, not that her blows weren't strong too.

The two traded blows for a while. Naruto was more skilled at taijutsu but Fu's style gave her the advantage. While he blocked most of Fu's attacks and this was wearing him down, Fu dodged his attacks.

Naruto was on the ropes. The spar ended when Fu ducked under a punch and grabbed his arm. Fu flipped him over her shoulder. Naruto landed on his back and Fu pinned him to the ground, sitting on his waist.

"Looks like I win, Naruto." Fu said with a smirk.

"Yeah, but…"

"huh?"

"Can you… get up?" Naruto asked with a blush. Fu looked confused before she realized how she had positioned herself and jumped back with a blush of her own. Before either had a chance to break the awkward silence, they heard footsteps and saw Jiraiya walk out of the tree line, having seen the whole thing, with a smirk.

"Huh… didn't expect you two to move so fast." Jiraiya said.

"I- it's not like that, Ero-sensei." Fu said, her blush deepening.

"Yeah, stop thinking like… what the?" Naruto yelled the last part as he saw something in the river out of the corner of his eye.

"You're going to have to better than that to distract me, kid." Jiraiya said.

"I'm not trying to, you old perv! There's someone in the river!" Naruto shouted as he ran to the river. Jiraiya and Fu looked to the river in shock and saw what he had seen: three men floating in the river unconscious.

"What the hell?"

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, the three had been looked over. Jiraiya decided it was a good time to test what they had learned about the local herbs and first aid from their readings and they had done a fairly good job of patching the three up, though Fu proved better at it. After they got up, they told the three men their names.<p>

"Thanks… you may have saved our lives." one of the men said.

"You're welcome, so, who are you guys anyway? And how did you wind up in the river?" Naruto asked and was surprised to see his question dampened their spirits. After a moment, one of the men spoke up.

"My name is Rokusuke and we're miners from Katabami, a village in the Land of Rivers… I know you just saved our lives but, please, I beg you to help us again. You have to help us get to Konohagakure."

"Katabami?" Jiraiya asked with a raised brow. "Oh yeah, that village with the gold mine. Why are you in such a hurry to Konoha? Is there trouble?"

"… Our village has been taken over by a gang called the Kurosuki family. They force us to work the mine regardless of our health, the weather… we're basically slaves…" Rokusuke said.

"I see…." the sage said.

"If you understand then please, we have to get to Konoha quickly, Kanpachi is… "

"Rokusuke… come on. It hurts but by now he's gotta be…" one of the men said sadly as he placed his hand on Rokusuke's shoulder.

"What happened to him?" Fu asked.

"…The leader of the Kurosuki family, Raiga, has funerals for everyone who displeases him." One of the other men said, his eyes downcast as funerals for friends passed before his eyes. "He buries them alive and then cries over them as if they were a close friend." the teen ninja were shocked and scandalized by this. Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. In his long career, he had seen worse things happen to innocent people. Of course, his teammate had been Orochimaru. The whole situation reminded Naruto of the Land of Waves. "We managed to escape when he was holding one of these funerals for our friend… but by now…"

"That's terrible… sounds like this guy's crazy… wait, Raiga? Raiga Kurosuki?" Naruto asked, Jiraiya had him and Fu memorize Konoha's bingo book and a few others versions of the bingo book not distributed in ninja villages during their readings and he recognized the name. He had to admit it was a good idea as he recalled the hapless fools who picked a fight with Jiraiya, not recognizing him until they heard his name.

"Yeah… how do you know him?" He asked a little fearful. They didn't seem the type but if they were somehow affiliated with him, they were screwed. Then they noticed Naruto's forehead protector. "Wait, you three are from Konoha?"

"Yeah, we're on a training trip under Pe- I mean, Jiraiya of the Sannin." Naruto said gesturing to Jiraiya. He didn't use his nickname for the pervert because he thought it wouldn't inspire much confidence from the three. Had the situation been different, Jiraiya would have smirked at being called something other that 'Pervy Sage' by the blond.

"To answer your question, we recognize him from the bingo book." Fu explained. "Bingo books are books that, in general, list dangerous ninja. Raiga is an A-class missing-nin from Kirigakure, the second highest level of ninja and he has a 20 million Ryo bounty on his head. He's also a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, a group made of the greatest sword wielding ninja in Kiri." the three were shocked to hear how high Raiga's bounty was.

"Huh… we can't very well just leave them like this." Jiraiya said. "So kids, what do ya say? How about we help them out." his apprentices smiled confidently and nodded.

"Are you crazy, you can't take him on by yourselves!" Rokusuke said.

"Listen; remember when Fu here said Raiga was the second highest level? Well I'm an S-class ninja, the highest class. Trust me when I say I can handle anything he and his group can throw at me." Jiraiya said and the trio of miner's eyes widened when they heard this. "Let's use this to see how you've improved. I'll watch over the mission and, if things go south, I'll be there to bail you out. Sound good?"

"You got it. You guys ready to go? We've got a village to save." Naruto said with a grin.

* * *

><p><strong>And, that's the end. <strong>

**Originally, I didn't plan to use any of the other anime locations, but I thought it would be good for the story and changed my mind. **

**As usual, please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Finally, this is the last chapter before they return to Konoha. Here's chapter 6, hope you like it.**

**Update 2/28/12: I've revised this chapter. Aside from some corrections, the changes are mostly to the confession and the date. Please read and tell me what you think of the new version. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>A day later, the group was walking down a path in a forest towards the village of Katabami. As they went, they were told more of the conditions the Kurosuki clan put them in and Rokusuke constantly complaining about the speed they traveled at. It seemed he was still holding out hope that their friend was alive even after being buried for so long, but his friends were more realistic and tried to make him see the truth.<p>

It was near sunset when they walked out of the forest and saw a curry shop by the side of the road.

"What's this? 'Curry of Life Shop' huh? We can use that as our base. Let's see if we can spend the night here and get to business in the morning." Jiraiya said as they came to the shop and entered. An old woman who was cleaning the counter looked up when they walked in.

"Well, it's been a while since anyone's come here. I'm Sansho, welcome, please, take a seat. Would you like me to fix you something or you just want to rest a bit." the woman said with a smile.

"Thanks, I think we'd all like a bite to eat, how about the house special?" Jiraiya asked.

"Sure, I'll have some of my special curry ready in a minute." Sansho replied as she turned to a cooking pot. A few minutes later, they were all seated at two tables, Jiraiya and his students at one and the miners at another. Before them each was a glass of water with a spoon.

"So, that mountain we saw was the Katabami Gold Mine?" Naruto asked.

"That's right. So, what do you plan to do?"

"Well, tomorrow, we'll scout out the village, try to get an idea how many enemies there are, their positions and level, that kind of thing, then we'll come up with a plan of attack." Naruto said.

'_He really is a bit more mature… the old Naruto would probably have wanted to just charge in head first, thinking everything would turn out ok._' Jiraiya thought to himself with a grin. Just then, Sansho walked to their tables with trays.

"Here you are. It's my specialty: the Curry of Life." The old woman said as she placed their plates on their tables. The sauce was black and bubbled, obviously spicy to an extreme. The group looked down at the curry before Naruto, Fu and the miners turned to Jiraiya and glared at him slightly.

"…What are you all looking at me for?" Jiraiya asked as he noticed the glares.

"Isn't it obvious?" Fu asked.

"You're the one who ordered this." Naruto said.

"Yes, well… let's just eat. We don't want to seem ungrateful." Jiraiya said, obviously not too pleased either and the others reluctantly nodded before they all took a spoonful of the curry and slowly took their first bites… then all their faces turned bright red and their eyes bulged. Seconds later, screams of pain could be heard outside the shop.

Everyone was paralyzed by the intense spices for a moment before the ninja recovered and quickly grabbed their glasses and drunk half the water in one gulp, gasping for breath afterwards. The miners still hadn't recovered.

"… Wow… that's some curry… " Jiraiya said to their host.

"Why thank you, it's famous around these parts. I remember the last Konoha ninja who came through here. He collapsed from exhaustion, but one spoonful of my curry and he was wide awake." Sansho replied with a smile.

"Yeah… I'll bet." Naruto said. '_I don't think anyone could sleep through that._' "So, you're here by yourself? You don't have anyone to help out around here?" Naruto said, thinking about using his shadow clones to help out. It might save them a bill, not that they couldn't pay, and it would be nice to help out the old woman. Sansho looked down sadly.

"… Well… I do have a son, Karashi… but he went off to join that Kurosuki family." she said sadly as she closed her eyes, thinking of her son. "I shouldn't have pushed him… always telling him to be strong and to stand up for himself…"

"What? Are you saying he just left you here to worry about him?" Fu was surprised.

"The jerk… don't worry Grandma Sansho, We'll get him back for you." Naruto said.

"Oh, you don't need to trouble yourselves."

"It's no trouble. We're here to take care of these guys anyway, so it's not like we'll be going out of our way or anything." Naruto replied and the shop owner smiled.

"Thank you, young man. You can stay here the night, free of charge if you like." Sansho said.

* * *

><p>That night, Naruto and Jiraiya stayed in one room while the miners slept in another and Fu had her own room. Naruto was sitting on his bed and Jiraiya was looking out the window, both slightly tense. Something told them something was off. In her room, Fu had a similar feeling. Suddenly, the three heard loud footsteps down the hall.<p>

"This is terrible!" Shouted one of the miners just before he opened the door to Naruto and Jiraiya's room. "Rokusuke's gone! He must have headed to town on his own!" Fu threw open the door of her own room when she heard this.

"Damn, at this rate, he'll get himself killed. So much for strategy, if we take our time now, he's dead." Naruto said as he stood up.

"Let's go. We need to hurry." Fu said.

* * *

><p>Rokusuke ran towards the village, intent on digging up his friend. Hoping against all odds that he had somehow survived all this time. Unbeknownst to him, he was sensed by Raiga's partner, Ranmaru, as Raiga stood on a cliff overlooking the town.<p>

"Someone's coming, Raiga." Ranmaru said from his place on the swordsman's back.

"A pity… it seems we'll have to hold another funeral." Raiga said sadly, sniffling a bit at the end.

* * *

><p>It was early morning when Rokusuke finally made it to his village. The sun had barely begun to rise. He snuck in as quietly as he could and was trying to dig his friend out. He sat there at his grave on his knees, his hands bruised from digging, but he didn't care.<p>

"Hang on, Kanpachi, I'll get you out." Rokusuke said.

"Need a hand?" a voice asked. Rokusuke looked up and saw he was surrounded by seven black cloaked and hooded figures. He yelled out in shock and fell back, knowing there was no escape.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Fu rushed towards the village. Fu was cursing herself for not placing an insect on the man to track him. They had both seen the way he was acting, although they thought he would be smarter than this, she should have taken a precaution.<p>

As they ran through the forest, Fu sent out a wave of insects ahead of them to collect whatever information they could before they arrived.

They reached the village a few minutes later and looked down to see a group of villagers being forced into harsh labor while four black cloaked men, members of the Kurosuki family as they had been described, watched over them. Their eyes narrowed as they saw these people. Like the miner had told them, they were basically slaves; they had little to no rights. While they watched, several of Fu's insects flew to her and she held up her hand and allowed them to land on her arm.

"How many are there?" Naruto asked and Fu paused for a moment as the insect relayed all the information it had gathered to her.

"There're a total of fourteen spread throughout the town. Nine of them are together, those four down there and one off by himself. Most of them have low chunin level chakra, one has less than the average genin… that's probably Karashi, and the one on his own has mid-jonin level reserves. That one must be Raiga." Fu said, frowning as the insect informed her of something odd. "But… there's a second chakra signature on Raiga."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked with narrowed eyes.

"It's like there's someone strapped to his back under his cloak." Fu responded.

Before either could ponder the meaning of this, their eyes widened as an old man who was being forced to work was suddenly unable to stand anymore. He fell over and all the raw ore he was carrying was spilled on the ground. The four thugs surrounded and threatened old man with a funeral if he didn't pick up the ore and get back to work.

"Alright, looks like that's our cue. Let's try to take these four out as quietly as we can." Naruto said and Fu nodded before they each made a hand sign and created a single shadow clone, the now four teens then traveled underground with a jutsu.

The four thugs watched with smirks, some laughing as the man frantically gathered the spilled ore before their eyes widened as four pairs of hands shot out of the ground and grabbed their ankles. They didn't even have time to cry out in shock before they were pulled deep underground, where they were covered in and drained dry of chakra by Fu's insects, their cries muffled by the ground.

The old man looked where the men stood in disbelief for a few moments before Naruto, Fu, their clones and the unconscious criminals emerged from the ground in front of him.

"Ok, tie these guys up and cover their mouths." Naruto ordered the clones as he threw them some rope. "You alright old man?"

"You… what have you done?" the man said fearfully. "They'll give me a funeral for sure!"

"Don't worry, we'll take care of them." Fu said before they all looked up as they heard a gong.

"What's that? Did we set off an alarm?" Naruto asked.

"No… it's a summon… their calling us to a funeral." the old man said.

"A funeral… do you think?" Naruto asked Fu.

"Rokusuke." Fu said. She then mentally called out to her insects, calling one back for an update.

"Yes, I heard they captured him this morning."

"The last nine members of the gang should be over there." Fu said.

"What about Raiga?" Naruto asked as the insect returned and she reached out her hand and let it land on her finger.

"He's not there… he must still be off on his own somewhere." Fu replied.

"Alright come on, let's save this guy and take out all of the underlings while we're at it." Naruto said and Fu nodded before Naruto turned to their clones. "You two make sure these guys don't do anything funny."

* * *

><p>Raiga looked down on the funeral from a cliff. He loved funerals… they brought people together in mourning and remembrance.<p>

"I remember when I first met Rokusuke… it's a happy memory." Raiga said.

"Is it?" Ranmaru asked.

"Yes, I remember the smile he gave when we liberated the gold mine… that's how I'll always remember him." Raiga replied as tears fell from his eyes.

"Will you hold a nice funeral for me too?"

"Don't talk like that. You're not going to die. Besides, I don't need a funeral to recall all the good times we've shared."

"Raiga, they're coming."

"Good, I want to see who he brought to rescue him." Raiga said as he wiped the last of his tears away.

"There are three of them… one of them seems to be watching… be careful, Raiga." Ranmaru warned. Even Jiraiya couldn't hide from his abilities.

"Don't worry, I will… after all, you'll be there with me."

* * *

><p>Naruto and Fu arrived to see the group of thugs in a large graveyard digging a grave for Rokusuke. They frowned as they watched them prepare to bury the man alive and thought that all these graves marked where someone suffered the same fate. Already having a plan, the two created four shadow clones each. The Jinchuriki and three of their clones then spread out silently using 'Earth Style: Underground Move Jutsu'. After moving into position, they waited a few more moments before making their move.<p>

Several of the thugs chuckled to themselves as they dug the newest grave before they sensed something. They turned to see a pair of teens rushing them. They charged to meet the them and were shocked when everyone who met the three ahead of the group were all defeated in seconds. They were weak by ninja standards, many genin could defeat them, but it was still more than enough to subdue a village of civilians.

One jumped to the side to avoid an axe kick from Fu only to suddenly be finding a whip of water wrapped around his waist and arms. He barely had time to voice his surprise before electricity flowed through the water and he was shocked into unconsciousness. Another was suddenly blasted away by a powerful ball of wind. Two more clones came from the came out of the ground in-between them, separating the remaining criminals. The thugs were quickly dealt with. In under a minute they were all on the ground unconscious.

"Huh, that was easy." Naruto said.

"They had decent reserves, but they were poorly trained." Fu observed. "Alright, you guys get Rokusuke out of there." the clones all ran towards the coffin the miner was locked in. As they did, Naruto looked over at the last remaining gang member standing, he was using a grave marker to shield himself. "So, I'm guessing you're Sansho's son, Karashi." Fu said as she looked at the young man.

"Huh… yeah, what of it." Karashi asked, crossing his arms and acting tough now that they weren't hostile.

"How can you just leave that nice old lady alone like that? Do you know how much she's worried about you?" Naruto frowned at him.

"So what? Besides, their leader is a great man, he liberated this village."

"What's your definition of liberating?" Fu asked. "This is basically slavery. How can you work for these people?"

"Because now I'm part of something powerful."

"Really, so are you strong now? You hid behind your allies and let them do all the fighting for you." Naruto said. "Either you're still weak, or deep down you know this is wrong." Karashi looked up at him. "Besides, if you really want to be strong, then you need to be able to stand up for yourself. And what is it you plan to do with that strength? Do you really want to be strong at a cost like this? What if your mother did something to anger Raiga? Would you just stand by and let them bury her too?" Karashi knew they were right, but he was still too afraid to go against the Kurosuki or try to stand on his own. He decided to act like he had truly seen the error of his ways and see which way the wind blew.

"You… you're right, I've been a fool. Please, forgive me." Karashi begged.

"Fine." Naruto said as his and Fu's clones walked to them with Rokusuke. Both saw through Karashi but knew he wasn't strong enough to really do anything. "Alright, you guys know the drill. Tie them up, stay here and watch over them. Rokusuke, you alright?"

"Yeah… thanks for saving my life again… I'm sorry but I just couldn't leave my friend buried alive like that." Rokusuke said.

"I understand… for what it's worth, I'm sorry we couldn't save him." Fu said and the miner nodded. "I shouldn't have to tell you to stay here." The green haired girl then walked over and looked around before looking up at a cliff. "That's all of them… all that's left is Raiga."

"Good, then let's finish this." Naruto said as the moved at ninja speed up the cliff, leaving behind the miner, the thugs, the wannabe and their clones.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Fu arrived at the top of the cliff and looked around. They were on a rocky plateau and seemed to be alone.<p>

"Do you know where he is?"

"Not yet." Fu replied. She sent a command to her insects to return and update on Raiga's position. Suddenly, a thick mist appeared out of nowhere.

"I know this… it's the Hidden Mist Jutsu." Naruto said as he looked around. Fu nodded, having read about the technique and sent out a swarm of her insects.

Raiga looked down on them from a ledge overlooking the plateau, observing the two teens that had decimated his gang.

"What do you think, Ranmaru?"

"It's incredible. They have enormous chakra reserves. One of them seems to be manipulating insects… my illusions won't work on them." Ranmaru said.

"I see… are you ready, Ranmaru?"

"Yes, Raiga."

Fu had called back one of the insects that had managed to land on Raiga when she sent them out. She looked up at the nearby cliff.

"Up there." Fu said, pointing to the cliff.

"Got it! Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" Naruto called out before he unleashed a gust of wind that blew away the mist and tore across the plateau towards Raiga. Raiga skipped backwards and focused chakra to his feet to anchor himself to the ground. He held up his arms to shield his face as the blast of wind hit. Raiga grunted with effort as he channeled as much chakra as he could to keep from being blown away. While he and Ranmaru had been talking about Rokusuke's funeral and watching the following events, the insects Fu had tagged him with, twelve in total and ten still remaining, had been draining his chakra. While such a small amount of the bugs could only do so much, they had been working on Raiga for a while now.

Naruto and Fu kicked off as fast as they could towards the cliff and quickly ran up to where Raiga stood as the mist began to cover the area again, drawing their swords as they went. Naruto reached the top first, jumped into the air and came down with a downward slash meant to cut Raiga in half. Raiga brought his blades, covered in bandages, together in an X formation to block and channeled lightning through them as Naruto channeled wind through his. The blades met with a clang and the two stood their ground.

"You seem strong… and your eyes show such determination." Raiga said. "I may hold a funeral for you after this is over."

"You're the one who's going to need a funeral, pal." Naruto said before the both jumped back. Naruto slashed his sword repeatedly, creating three blades of wind but was shocked when he heard a young voice predict his movements and warn Raiga, who then easily dodged his attacks.

"Raiga! Behind you!" the voice called out and Raiga spun around to block a flame covered slash from Fu. Fu summoned a water blade to her left hand while holding Okibi no Yaiba in her right and mimicked Raiga, canceling the fire and channeling lightning through her swords and the two clashed in a fierce exchange of swordplay. Fu had a speed advantage but Raiga's ally predicted her every move and warned him, allowing him to dodge each strike before Naruto joined the fray. Raiga quickly found himself outmatched trying to fight the pair together. He channeled as much chakra into his legs as he could and jumped back. After about a dozen feet before he impaled his Kiba blades into the ground, not only to slow him down but also to prepare an attack.

"Lightning Funeral: Feast of Lightning!" Raiga yelled before a wave of lightning bolts cut through the ground towards them Naruto countered with a slash of his Hisho Taichi, unleashing his Tempest Wind attack. The whirlwind tour across the ground and dispersed the lightning.

Fu slashed her sword, creating several dragons of fire as Naruto charged forward. The dragons twisted around him and flew towards Raiga. As Raiga dodged the first two, the third reared up and dive bombed him and he jumped back to dodge.

"Raiga, he's right in front of you using the flames as cover." Ranmaru warned and Raiga brought his swords together.

"Ninja Art: Lightning Ball!" Raiga yelled and he threw a ball of pure lightning at the blond. The ball hit as Naruto came out of the remnants of the fire and electrocuted him.

"He's a clone!" Ranmaru yelled and Naruto turned to smoke. "To your right!" Ranmaru warned and Raiga turned to see a twisting cyclone carving a path towards him. He jumped to the side and Naruto lunged forwards intent on impaling the man. Raiga blocked with his left blade and attacked with his used his right to attack with a stab of his own. Without Fu's aid, Naruto quickly found himself on the defensive as Raiga's two swords gave him an advantage. Raiga went for a downward slash but had to disengage and jump back to dodge another fire dragon before being attacked from two sides from Naruto and Fu.

He dodged a stab aimed at his stomach from Fu and blocked a slash from Naruto. However, Naruto followed up that slash with a kick that Raiga barely managed to dodge. Unfortunately for the swordsman, the kick hit the bag on Raiga's back and Ranmaru was sent flying.

"Raiga!" Ranmaru called out.

"Ranmaru!" Raiga yelled, worried about his only friend.

Without Ranmaru's aid and now running dangerously low on chakra, he was now at a serious disadvantage and was quickly overwhelmed by Naruto and Fu's combined swordplay. Fu covered her blade with flame and slashed downwards at Raiga, who blocked with both his blades, leaving him open to a upward diagonal slash from Naruto. He skipped backwards but suffered a shallow cut across his stomach and chest from Naruto's sword.

Fu sheathed her sword and made a hand sign, creating three shadow clones who threw shuriken as they drew their swords and charged.

"Do you really think that will help you?" Raiga yelled, enraged at the loss of Ranmaru as he deflected the projectiles. "Ranmaru, hang on! I'll come and get you as soon as I'm finished here." Raiga blocked a slash from a clone when the clone he had locked blades with smirked. Before he could react, the three clones exploded, sending him flying back and leaving him wide open as Naruto lunged forward.

"Don't!" Ranmaru yelled but it was too late and Naruto impaled Raiga through the chest. Raiga coughed up blood and looked weakly at his opponent.

"I guess… I'll be the one needing the funeral after all…" Raiga said as he coughed up more blood. "Hey… please… take care of Ranmaru…" These were the swordsman's last words, his body went limp as he said them and he breathed his last, his swords falling to the ground.

Naruto and Fu looked at the man, slightly remorseful. Both of them had realized whoever was helping him was likely a close friend. Naruto created a clone ordered it to seal up the body and the swords in two separate scrolls before he and Fu walked over to where Ranmaru lie on the ground in a bag. Fu's insects swarmed around the bag, ready to attack if whoever was inside proved hostile.

"So, this is who was helping Raiga? He must have a dojutsu." Naruto said as he walked over. Fu nodded and she unzipped the bag, revealing the boy.

"You're the one who was helping him?" Fu asked, surprised to see he was so young, but what truly surprised them was the look in the boy's eyes. A look they had seen in their own, a look of someone who had no meaning in their life. Someone with no reason to live.

"Yes… we were together… since that day…" Ranmaru began before he told them of how he had met Raiga.

"That day?" Naruto asked.

"… I lived in a village, in a shabby cabin. I've always been frail and I have no memory of my parents. I survived only because the other villagers took pity on me and left me food. But even though I was so weak, I had a power no one else had. My eyes allowed me to see the outside world But when they found out about that power, they stopped helping me. I would have starved to death, had it not been for Raiga. One day, he and a group of ANBU came to the village in search of a traitor. With my eyes I saw him, crying. He, too, had no meaning in his life. He took pity on me and took me with him. From that day forward, I was his eyes and he was my arms and legs. We've always been together ever since. But now that he's gone, my life has no meaning." the Jinchuriki's eyes widened as they heard this. Naruto was reminded of Haku, the boy who had put him on his path and taught him what was truly important. "You have a job, don't you? Please, finish it."

"You can't be serious." Fu said.

"Ranmaru… I knew someone just like you once." Naruto said sadly. "Ironically enough, he also helped one of the seven swordsmen." Fu remembered hearing this before. "He was Zabuza's apprentice Haku. He saw himself as nothing but a tool and thought that, once his usefulness to Zabuza was outlived, his life would lose all meaning. When I beat him and he thought he wasn't strong enough to remain Zabuza's tool, he asked me to kill him."

"Then you've already heard this before. I can't go on alone, without a purpose." Ranmaru said, looking up to the sky.

"Is that what Raiga would want?" Naruto asked and Ranmaru turned to him.

"Ranmaru… both of us know what that's like." Fu said. "We were both shunned in our villages for reasons we had no control over. Almost no one cared about us. Most people just wanted us gone. We had nothing to live for, until we found people who understood and accepted us. Ranmaru… Raiga's last words were to ask us to make sure you lived on… if you don't want to continue living for yourself, do it for him."

"But… I can't go on alone like this."

"Then find new people who accept you." Naruto said. "There are lots of people here who would help you. I'm sure the old woman at the curry shop outside of town would treat you like family. And you could always come to Konoha. Unlike Kiri, they love bloodline holders there and I'm sure Grandma Tsunade could help you with your illness." Ranmaru said nothing. "Well, at least give it a shot."

"… Ok… Raiga wanted me too, so I guess I'll try."

Naruto had a clone pick the boy up and the group returned to town. The clones they left behind had long since finished with the remaining gang members and tied up the other members of the Kurosuki family. Karashi hadn't tried anything either. After being thanked by the people of the town, the Jinchuriki, along with Ranmaru and Karashi, returned to the Curry of Life shop, where Karashi was given Sansho's 300% spicy punishment curry. Ranmaru decided to stay at the shop, where he was welcomed by grandma Sansho and the now truly reformed Karashi and Jiraiya, Naruto and Fu quickly made an excuse to leave when Sansho offered them extra spicy curry as a reward.

"So, how'd we do, Ero-sensei?" Fu asked, curious of how he evaluated the way they handled their mission.

"Well, you did a pretty good job. You planned ahead and got a good idea of the enemy forces before making your move. You took out the first group as quietly as you could and avoided detection as you moved through the village but were forced to move early due to Rokusuke. You saved him and had back up and escape plans ready and took no chances with your own safety or that of the villagers. You made sure Ranmaru wasn't a threat before trusting him and you managed to take down a member of the Seven Swordsmen. I'd say, you handled it like a chunin. Speaking of Raiga, what do you plan to do with his swords? His bounty's double if they're included and you already have a sword."

"I think I'll keep his them, might find a use for them later." Naruto said. "Fu should take the bounty. I don't really need it. I have more than enough to live off of from my casino winnings." It was true, he did still have about 60 million left. And with his luck at gambling, he would have no trouble making more, he was only banned from casinos in that one town in the Land of Rivers.

"No, Naruto. It was a joint effort so let's split it."

"You could have taken him alone." Naruto pointed out. It was true. Alone, Fu may have been forced to go three tails, but that would have been more than enough.

"Fu, just keep it. Like he said, he can easily make money with his luck. Now come on, after we collect Raiga's bounty, we're heading back to that clearing we found those three miners in."

* * *

><p>Though it took some more convincing, Fu was eventually talked into keeping the bounty. Jiraiya also decided to send them after a few more bounties for practice and real combat experience before they returned to Konoha. After they reached the clearing, they worked on learning new jutsu and perfecting everything they knew. Four more months and they had become fairly skilled with seals, high chunin to low jonin level with genjustu and Naruto's space-time jutsu abilities had improved. Their other skills showed normal improvement, they always had Jiraiya's weight seals on, further improving their physical abilities and Naruto learned to use the Kiba blades and their lightning powers. They also went on three bounty hunting missions for experience. The first being a low jonin with a bounty of 10 million Ryo, the second had been worth 7 million and the third being a group of eight chūnin level missing Nin and bandits led by a low jonin, together these ninja were worth 14 million. That particular job showed good planning skills as the group had taken many civilians hostage to use as slaves and they managed to save them all. Naruto couldn't convince Fu to keep all of it and the 31 million was split between them.<p>

There was still a little over half a year left before it was time to return to Konoha and Jiraiya decided that it was again time to take a week long break, this time in a resort town with hot springs on the outskirts of the Land of Fire.

The two had grown a bit, Naruto now stood at 5'3 and Fu at 5'2. Fu's clothing style was mostly unchanged aside from the fact that her bandages had been replaced with fishnet armor that didn't cover her midriff. Naruto's tracksuit had been replaced with one that had black where the old one had blue and around the zipper.

Naruto walked through the town alone. Jiraiya was off at a peeking on a hot spring and Fu was relaxing in another hot spring… which Jiraiya made sure was far away from the one he was at because 1) she threatened to use a water sword enhanced '1000 years of death' if she caught him peeping on her and 2) the last time she caught him peeping on a hot spring she wasn't in, she got Naruto and shrieked as loud as she could: "EEK! PERVERT! THERE'S A PEEPING TOM PEEKING ON THE HOT SPRINGS!", which resulted in Jiraiya being beaten senseless by a hoard of angry women while Naruto and Fu laughed their asses off at the spectacle.

Naruto had been thinking about Fu. He had never connected with someone as well as he had with her and he couldn't deny he thought she was attractive. They had grown very close over the past two years since they left Taki, talking about their experiences, likes, dislikes and sharing various troubles and laughs, and he really liked spending time with her.

As he was consumed with his thoughts of his mint-haired companion, he walked by a stand and something caught his eye. The stand had all sorts of decorations, ornaments and masks, but what had come to his attention was an orange hair clip. Naruto couldn't help but think how it would match the green-haired Jinchuriki's eyes. The stand owner, a middle aged man, noticed the teen looking at his wares and, after waiting for a few moments to see if something would hold his interest, spoke up.

"Hey, kid, see anything you like?" The proprietor asked.

Naruto's head snapped from the ornament to the man. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess, that hair clip."

"Huh?" the man looked at the orange hair clip. "Ah, got yourself a girlfriend?"

"What, no, I mean, she-" Naruto sputtered. "I just, there's this girl I know and I think she'd like it, that's all."

The stand owner smirked knowingly and chuckled. "Heh, whatever you say kid. It's 80 ryo." The blond paid for it and left.

Naruto walked around town for the rest of the day, he had some snacks, played some games and bought some souvenirs. It was a few minutes before sunset and the sun was just over the horizon, painting the sky orange and the clouds a rusty red. He jumped to the top of a building searching for his friend to find her sitting on a nearby roof, watching the beautiful scenery.

"Hey, Fu, what're you doing up here?" Naruto asked as he landed nearby. Fu turned to look at the boy.

"Oh, hey Naruto, just watching the sunset." she responded, looking back towards the sun. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Naruto answered dumbly before looking to the sky. "Yeah… it is… I'm surprised I never noticed it before."

"In Taki, I would almost always climb to the top of the sacred tree and watch the sunset. It helped that I didn't have to worry about the glares up there." Fu said and Naruto nodded.

"… Oh yeah, I got you this." Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out the hairclip he'd bought. The girl looked surprised at the gift.

"You got this for me?" Fu asked as she took it and looked at it in her hand. "Why?"

"I thought it would look good on you, it matches your eyes."

"My eyes?" The green haired girl raised a brow.

"Yeah, when we first met, I was drawn to them. You have beautiful eyes, Fu." Naruto elaborated with a smile, causing Fu to blush before giving him a slightly annoyed look.

"You're just saying that because they're your favorite color." Fu stated and Naruto shook his head.

"It's not just that. From the moment I saw them, I thought they was something striking about them. Not just the color, it's just… I don't know. I always thought they were stunning." Fu's blush deepened from the blond's words. "I also noticed that they had the same look mine used to have. I knew you had been through the same thing I had - that hell called loneliness. That's why I couldn't leave you like that." Naruto smiled. "And yeah, they are my favorite color." He said in a playful manner, causing Fu to giggle.

"Thank you, for that and the hairclip, this is the first thing anyone's ever given me." Fu said with a heartfelt smile before she attempted to put it on.

"Here, let me." Naruto reached with his hand. The green haired girl handed him the hairclip and Naruto placed it above her right eye. "There." The blond smiled. "It suits you perfectly, you look really pretty." Fu's blush deepened as Naruto gaze turned back to the sky. Since they left Taki, the two had grown closer and Fu had begun to recognize that her feelings for the boy may be deeper than friendship. After a moment of thought, she made a decision.

"Naruto…"

"Huh?" Naruto turned to face the green haired girl, only for her soft lips to land on his in a delicate kiss. It was a small, chaste kiss, but it still managed to bring a deep blush to both of their faces. It was over almost as quickly as it began with both of them jerking back as if scalded. Fu turned her face away in embarrassment.

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, however, his mind was so disjointed that he couldn't even form a proper sentence. "Fu... I... uhhh... What..."

Fu turned back to him, uneasiness coursing through her as she struggled to tell him how she felt. Her heart wouldn't stop beating as she tried to voice her feelings. "Naruto… I… I like you… I mean…" The green haired girl closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening her eyes and staring into the blond's cerulean pools. "I want to… I want to be with you."

Naruto's eyes widened in astonishment at Fu's admission. This girl, whose presence he'd come to enjoy even more than Sakura's, felt that way about him? Finding it hard to voice his thoughts due to his shock and the emotions coursing through him, he asked, "Why would you… want to be with me?"

Now that she had said it, she knew there was no backing out. The fear of rejection, the fear that she may have ruined her relationship with her fellow Jinchuriki dominated her being as she answered his question. "I've admired you ever since you saved my… former village. And my admiration only grew when I found out you were like me. That you stayed cheerful and happy, and had such a strong will, despite living the same life I had. Your resolve, your drive to never give up and the fact that you showed your village they were wrong about you inspired me when I was starting to lose hope and I realized I wanted to be more like you. The time since I left Taki has been the happiest of my life, because you were there with me. During all the time we spent together, your drive, your goals became mine, and I realized that I wanted to spend more time with you. That I wanted to keep sharing and facing the good and the bad, together."

In the haze that dominated Naruto's mind, a question arose. "Why would you tell me when you knew how I felt about Sakura?"

The fear and certainty that she was going to be rejected brought tears to her eyes. Not wanting to show them, Fu stood and turned her back to Naruto. "Because… It would be better to take the plunge and be rejected then to keep this bottled up."

Fu closed her eyes, willing the tears away as she swallowed the lump in her throat. This was it. He probably still had feelings for his teammate. At least she had tried. She hoped at least things wouldn't be too awk…

Her eyes shot open when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and she found herself in the blond's embrace. "The truth is…" The blond began, his head at her shoulder. "I really liked Sakura in the past. But then I met someone else." He eased his hold over her and turned Fu around, facing her shocked look. "This smart, beautiful girl I was drawn to from the moment I met her. This wonderful girl, who over the years I came to care for more than I ever did for Sakura." He cupped her cheek, giving her a warm, gentle smile. "I met you. I want to be together with you and… I really like you too, Fu."

Fu was stunned. She'd never thought a day like this would come. She stood perfectly still for a moment before her arms swiftly wrapped around his neck, tears, now of joy, rolling down her face. The pair melted into their embrace as they were consumed with a passion they'd never experienced before while, unknown to them, Jiraiya watched from a nearby building with a smile.

* * *

><p>An hour later, the pair of Jinchuriki walked down the hall to their room. Naruto opened the door and found Jiraiya standing in the center of the room, smirking at his students.<p>

"Hey, I was wondering when you two would show up, so, anything of interest happen today?" the old man said, playing dumb.

"You know very well what happened, Ero-sensei." Fu said.

"Heh, well, I'm happy for you two. I'm sure you'll make each other happy. Take it from someone who spent most of his life getting turned down by the first girl he fell for." Jiraiya said, much to the pairs shock.

"Tsunade?" Naruto asked.

"I've told you before, haven't I? How much your team reminds me of my own? You, Sakura and Sasuke, and the bonds you shared, are almost exactly like the ones between me, Tsunade and Orochimaru, though Tsunade didn't have feelings for Orochimaru like Sakura does for Sasuke. I spent years focused on Tsunade, and she turned me down every time." the hermit finished on a sad note. "Anyway, it's late, we should go to bed, we'll stay here for a few more days and then get back to training."

"What are we doing next?"

"We'll improve on what you have and the speed of your jutsu, then I want you to work on your own techniques and your ability to sense others. But don't think about it now. Just relax and enjoy your time here."

They both agreed and soon turned in wishing each other good night before laying down.

As the pair drifted off to a pleasant sleep, Jiraiya was wide awake on the roof of the building, quickly writing down what he was sure was going to be one of the highlights of his new bestseller.

"And so, Shu threw her arms around Nakuro's neck as the two held one another, tears of joy streaming down her face. As she melted into his embrace, Nakuro knew he had found his one true love… no, no. It needs something to spice it up." Jiraiya paused for a second, raising his pen to his chin in thought before a perverted smirk spread across his face and an equally perverse giggle escaped him and he scribbled down more notes. "Shu threw her arms around Nakuro's neck and claimed his lips, the wandering warrior reciprocating and massaging her lips with his own. As the kiss became more and more impassioned and they began dueling with their tongues, Nakuro's hands wandered to Shu's chest, where he proceeded to grope her breasts through her clothes. Shu moaned at the man's ministrations as desire began to cloud her eyes... yes, yes! This is gold! I knew that brat would give me just as much material as his old man!"

* * *

><p>The next day, Naruto and Fu were walking through the town together. They had decided that to go on their first date and spend the day together. Actually, they'd be sure to spend a lot of their time together over the next few days, as they'd soon be going back to training. They had precious little time before they would be returning to spending most of their days training.<p>

As soon as they stepped outside of their hotel, they immediately decided to head to a clothing store, noting that their normal clothing wasn't really suitable for a date. They walked through the doors of the store and their gaze washed over the interior.

It was a fairly large shop that catered mostly for civilians. All manner of clothing in various different sizes hung on racks and shelves. The pair separated, planning to find each other once they had some things to try on. Fu walked through the women's section, looking at the various kimonos that surrounded her. As she stopped and inspected one that caught her interest, she noticed someone approaching. She looked up to find a clerk, a young woman only a few years older than her with long, brown hair making her way towards her.

"Hello, miss. Can I help you in any way?" The clerk greeted.

Fu nodded, giving a slight smile. "Yes, thank you. I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking for."

The older teen looked at her with a critical eye, thinking of what she could suggest for her to try. "Well, do you have some idea what you're looking for?"

Fu walked around the rack and examined a long blue dress. "Well… something beautiful and graceful… preferably white." The green-haired girl had a fondness for the color akin to her fellow Jinchuriki's liking of the color orange, which is why she wore the pure color despite the fact that it was impractical for a kunoichi. Her stubbornness on the subject being another thing she had in common with her new boyfriend.

"Your favorite color." The woman observed as she looked over the customer, her words more of a statement than a question. "Are you trying to impress someone?"

Fu nodded, her smile growing as she remembered what she was doing there. "Yeah, I'm on a date, so I need something that really gets his attention."

The brunette got an excited gleam in her eyes as she quickly approached the younger teen. "You're on a date? Right now?"

The green haired girl gave an affirmative. "He's someone I've known for a long time and we recently realized that what we feel for each other is more than friendship. From the moment we met, he has always been there for me and I want to surprise him with something really stunning." She spoke with a warm expression.

"Wow." The clerk gained a curious look. "But, shouldn't you have a better idea of what you want then?"

Fu seemed slightly embarrassed. "Well… it's my first date, so…"

"Your first?" The young woman exclaimed excitedly, causing Fu to step back slightly as the gleam returned to the older girl's eyes, having grown in intensity. The clerk shot forward, a roll of measuring tape having appeared in her hands seemingly out of no where, making Fu briefly question if the woman was really a civilian. "Oh, that's so wonderful! The first date, that's one of the most magical experiences in a girl's life, and with someone like you've described… Don't worry, I'll make sure you look absolutely gorgeous! He'll die from a nosebleed the moment he sets his eyes on you!"

* * *

><p>The blond stood at a clothing rack, smiling when he found a orange kimono top in his size. He lifted it up and looked over it for a moment before a familiar voice caught his attention.<p>

"Naruto." The voice called out from behind him. He turned his head and his jaw dropped, the shirt he was holding slipping from his grasp when he caught sight of his new girlfriend. She was wearing a flowing white kimono with green flower designs along the hem that hugged her figure perfectly.

"How do I look?" Fu asked, striking a slight pose as she raised her right hand to her hair.

Naruto felt his face heat up. "Y- you…uhh… I mean, I…" He stammered as the green haired girl looked at him expectantly. "Incredible… you're beautiful, Fu." The girl felt her own cheeks flush at his compliment. Including the one from yesterday, this was the second time in her entire life she had received a flattering remark of any kind about her appearance.

"So, did you find something?" Fu asked, averting her gaze and scratching her cheek.

Naruto nodded, recovering from the stuttering mess the sight of his fellow Jinchuriki had reduced him to. "Just gotta try it on."

Minutes later, they rang up their purchases and exited the store, Fu wearing the white kimono and Naruto wearing the orange kimono top with black pants.

"So, what should we do?" Fu spoke, having no experience with this situation. It was too early to get something to eat.

"I don't know… oh, how about we go see the latest Princess Gale movie." Naruto said with a snap of his fingers.

"That sounds good. I can hardly remember the last time I've been to the theater." The green haired girl replied. Before she could do anything else, Naruto held his hand out to her, a gesture that seemed to surprise her a bit. She looked to the blond's face and saw he was giving her a gentle smile. She returned his expression and let her hand join his. The pair then left in search of the nearest theater, their fingers laced together.

Not knowing their way around the village, they had to stop and ask for directions, but soon managed to locate it. They stepped up to the booth and paid for their tickets and entered the building.

The pair rushed down the halls, having gotten last minute tickets, and entered the auditorium just as the lights began to go out.

"Whew, just made it." Naruto commented as they sat down in the red cushioned seats near the edge of one of the center rows.

The movie began with the princess and her most loyal follower standing on a cliff, looking down on what had been a battlefield. The bodies of the fallen lie strewn across the earth as the narrator explained the back-story, how, after the end of the last film, their had been a short period of peace before a new villain, a dark woman named Yue, the princess of a fallen kingdom, who possessed a malevolent, black colored chakra appeared. Her chakra allowed her to summon and control an army of demons with which, she waged war, intent on conquering the world to restore her fallen nation. Yue's unnatural chakra seemed to sap the life of all those around her, and so, the only hope was Princess Gale's fabled rainbow chakra, the only thing that seemed to counter the evil power. The title appeared as Princess Gale and her followed battled the horde of monsters.

As they watched the film, the two Jinchuriki leaned against the armrest, their hands touching in the process. They both jolted back, surprised by the by the interaction before muttering an apology to each other, however, both found they'd enjoyed the brief event. As the movie continued, Naruto glanced at Fu and saw her hand was back on the armrest and rested his own hand on top of hers, causing her to turn to him. He smiled at her, and she returned the look.

During a scene where it was hinted that the princess and her most loyal warrior may have feelings for one another, Fu decided to go a little further. Naruto turned his head when she took her hand away from his and his eyes widened when she leaned across the armrest against his shoulder. As he gazed at her face, she gave him a timid look that clearly said "If I'm making you uncomfortable, I can move away". To her pleasure, Naruto immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Content, she rested her head on him, both enjoying the physical contact as the movie continued.

In the end, it was revealed that Princess Yue was being controlled by a demon, the true source of the black chakra. In a final violent clash of black and rainbow energy, the courage and belief of her fellows allowed Princess Gale to overcome the demonic power and exorcize the demon. Princess Yue, revealed to have died at the fall of her home, was allowed to join her family, her body turning to dust after apologizing to the heroes and thanking them for setting her free.

After the credits rolled, the two wandered the village in search of something else to do, stopping at various stands but never doing anything more than looking. Eventually, they came upon a gambling parlor. The structure was fairly large, and its main features were an area for cho-han, currently occupied by a dozen players, and a few poker tables, along with a bar for the players to relax at.

Naruto turned to his girlfriend, a smirk spreading across his face as he rubbed his hands together. "Hey, Fu. What do you say we have some fun cleaning this place out?"

Fu gave him a grin. "Naruto, you read my mind."

The duo stepped inside and immediately some of the gamblers sized them up, some even chuckling. It was obvious they all thought they had happened across some easy pickings. Oh how wrong they were.

"Well, look at that. What brings a couple of kids like you in?" One of the gamblers playing cho-han asked.

"Oh, you know, just looking for a good time. Think you can let us into your game?" Naruto asked, playing the part of a naive kid, causing his girlfriend to smirk internally.

"No problem, kid. Take a seat." The man gestured to the Tatami mat across from him and the blond sat himself down.

Fu looked over to one of the other games. "I'm going to try my luck at the poker table. Have fun."

"Good luck." Naruto called after her.

The gambler then through two pieces of dice into a bamboo cup, threw it into the air, caught it and slammed it down. "Alright, place your bets."

Naruto placed 2000 Ryo down. "I'll take Han." All the other players did the same, adding their money to the pot. The man lifted the cup to revealing 3 and 4.

"Han it is." The man said, watching as the gamblers collected their winnings before glancing at the blond. "Looks like you got lucky there, kid. Wonder how long that luck's gonna last." Naruto only smirked in response.

Meanwhile, Fu sat at a poker table. She may not have been blessed with the luck of a fox like her blond boyfriend, but as a ninja, she was trained in reading people and thus, was easily able to call when the people around her were bluffing. The fact that the people of Taki didn't try to hinder her training, not even in that regard, was one of the few things she had been grateful for back in the village. She smirked as she accurately deduced her rival was bluffing and watched him fold before collecting the pot. "Lucky break. Hope you're going to give us a chance to win that back." One of the gamblers stated.

Fu smirked. "Oh, don't worry. We plan to stick around for a while."

The teens spent the next hour gambling. Fu came out with 10,000 more Ryo than she started with while Naruto won almost every game, walking away with 25,000 Ryo, much to the other gamblers' dismay. All the other players almost cheered when the Jinchuriki decided to leave and find a place to eat.

The young couple resumed their trek through the village and soon came upon a fairly nice place. They stepped into the building and swept their eyes across the establishment. The restaurant had hardwood floors and mahogany chairs and tables. The walls were lined with booths with padded leather cushions and lanterns hanging over them. There was also a bar, over which a tapestry displaying a battle and a decorative symbol was carved into the walls on either side of it. The pair walked to the hostess's desk, who noticed their approach and smiled.

"Welcome. Table for two, I presume?" The hostess said. The Jinchuriki nodded and were led to a table where a waitress soon took their orders.

They talked for a bit until their meals were brought to them: Teriyaki with Takoyaki on the side.

"So, Naruto, got any other stories you haven't told me?" Fu asked as they ate.

"Well, there was that time me and the Pervy Sage were looking for Tsunade. That's when we first ran into the Akatsuki."

"You've already met some of them?" Fu asked, surprised and Naruto nodded, "What happened?"

"Well, it was just after the Suna and Oto attacked. We needed a new Hokage and it was either the perv or Tsunade… well, he did say later that there was one other candidate."

"Really? Who?"

"Someone named Danzo… but he said that Danzo becoming Hokage would probably be worse than the invasion, didn't say why. Anyway, he brought me for two reasons, to teach me the Rasengan and to protect me from the Akatsuki. But they got him by hypnotizing some pretty girl and I wound up facing them alone."

"Why am I not surprised that worked?" Fu sighed. "Who were they?"

"Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki." Fu's eyes widened when he told her this. "I didn't know who they were, but the moment I saw them I knew I was screwed. Then Sasuke showed up… but when he saw his brother he became obsessed with beating him and charged him with Chidori."

Fu was clearly shocked to hear that. "Wait, you're telling me Sasuke, who was chunin level at best, attacked Itachi Uchiha head on?"

"Yeah… I guess when he saw the guy who massacred his clan he just snapped."

"And what happened to him?"

"… Itachi deflected his Chidori like it was nothing, kicked him into a wall and cast this special Genjustu on him that put him in a coma."

"And that's why you shouldn't let your anger control your actions, that's what being a hothead gets you."

"He's not-" Naruto began, he could think of a lot of negative things one could call Sasuke, but he wasn't usually hotheaded.

"I mean you… I don't want something like that to happen to you Naruto." Fu said and Naruto looked surprised. "People like us… because of how we were shunned, those who accept us mean more to us than most others… which means we react that much more when their hurt or taken from us. I don't want you to put yourself in danger because of something like that. I don't want to risk losing you like that." Fu said seriously. "… Naruto… after what he did to Sasuke… what would you do if Orochimaru showed up out of no where and mocked you about it?" Naruto took on a pensive expression. He knew what he'd do… he would fight him with everything he had, draw on as much of the Kyuubi's power as possible… and it would probably not be enough. "Sorry Naruto, I'm ruining our date, go back to the story."

"No, you're right." Naruto said before looking up at her. "But you're also right that we shouldn't think of that right now. Anyway, we kinda got lucky. That walking can of shark fin soup had his sword eat the Kyuubi's chakra when I tried to use it, but Sasuke distracted them until Pervy Sage showed up. He scared them off and a jonin, Gai, took Sasuke back to the village. We spent a day in a town for a festival and the perv spent all my money after he had the nerve to tell me to be careful with it." Naruto growled at the end and Fu giggled. "Then…" Naruto explained how Jiraiya had taught him the Rasengan and his bet with Tsunade and how she had disrespected the Hokage, ending with the battle between the Sannin… the part he was conscious for anyway, as they continued to eat their food.

"Wow… so you're basically the reason why Tsunade became the fifth Hokage." Fu said in awe as Naruto gave her a toothy grin.

"Yep, pretty amazing, huh?"

"Yeah… you know, you have amazing charisma."

"Huh? I don't know about that…" Naruto said sheepishly.

"It's true, though. You changed Tsunade's world view, after she'd been that way so long. You did the same to Shibuki, Seimei, Gaara… me too. If it wasn't for you, I don't know where I'd be right now… I was just about ready to give up hope…"

"Don't talk like that."

"But it's true… but, we shouldn't be talking about things like that on a date." Fu said. The two soon finished their meal and left after Naruto paid the bill.

As the two walked down the streets, Fu turned to the blond. "This has been great, Naruto. So far, today has been the second best day of my life."

Naruto seemed slightly surprised. "Really? When was the first?"

Fu giggled. "Yesterday."

The blond smiled. "Thanks, Fu, I've had fun too. So, what do you want to do next?"

Fu hummed as she looked to the sky before turning to her boyfriend "Have you been to the hot springs around here?"

"No, want to go to one?"

"Yeah, let's go for it."

The two explored the village until they found a hot spring that allowed mixed bathing. They entered through the large double doors and were thankful that no one but the attendant was there. Walking up to the attendant's station, they paid the allotted amount to enter the hot springs and they were given a pair of towels.

The new couple walked down the hall together before separating at the changing rooms. Naruto quickly got undressed, placing his clothes in one of the cubbyholes while wrapping a towel around his waist.

Once he finished and entered the hot spring, finding Fu had yet to enter. He walked forward until he stood at the water's edge before he heard the sound of the door sliding open. He turned and saw Fu standing at the entrance.

The green haired girl stepped inside and immediately caught sight of her new boyfriend standing on the edge of the spring. She could almost feel the blood rushing to her cheeks as her eyes fell over his muscles, normally hidden by his clothing, which while not large, were extremely well defined, lacking any excess bulk that would weigh him down. Fu had to gulp, feeling blood rush to her cheeks as she watched some of the sweat that was beginning to accumulate on the blond as it trailed over his chiseled pectorals, moving lower and leaving a slight trail down his washboard abs before disappearing within his towel.

The blond couldn't help but admire his new girlfriend's beauty. Though her towel hid most of her body, it was tightly wrapped and did little to hide the feminine figure of her toned and lithe form, the fabric hugging firmly to her curves, showing off the shape of her slender waist and well proportioned hips, not that her normal clothing didn't show those aspects of her off, and barely restricting her c-cup breasts. The towel wasn't high enough to completely cover her chest, allowing one to see the top of her cleavage. Her normal clothing did nothing to hide them and he'd seen them before, but his gaze also covered her strong and toned but unmistakably feminine legs befitting a kunoichi and her skin was smooth and flawless, a benefit of being a Jinchuriki, giving her enhanced healing that, while not nearly as impressive as Naruto's regeneration, ensured that no imperfections or scars would mar her appearance. The blue eyed Jinchuriki was briefly mesmerized by her form, feeling his own cheeks heat up slightly as he took in the exotic quality given to her by her caramel colored skin and the orange eyes he'd been drawn to from the moment he met her and he thought of seeing her without the towel.

"You haven't gotten in yet?" Fu asked, her eyes darting away out of nervousness and embarrassment.

"I was just about to." Naruto replied as Fu joined him at the water's edge.

The pair of Jinchuriki looked at each other, butterflies in their stomach as they stood for a brief moment before taking their towels off and easing themselves into the water, taking care not to look in the other's direction as they did so, fearful that the other may think they had more in common with their sensei than they let on.

Naruto noticed the water go still, indicating his fellow Jinchuriki had stopped moving and glanced at the girl, taking care to keep his gaze above the waterline, focusing on her face. Their looks met and the blond's eyes darted away again. Naruto had to admit, he wanted to look. He was a teenager with hormones after all and, while not being a pervert himself, he was the creator of several perverted jutsu, but that want was far outweighed by his concern for his new girlfriend's feelings.

He tried distracting himself by looking around the spring. Anywhere but the spot occupied by the object of his desires. Unfortunately, he found out the more he tried to ignore it, the more his mind and imagination run wild. Naruto felt restless as sweat started pouring on his forehead and his eyes began to itch. Maybe a quick peak, just so he could burn the image of her body in his memory, so his eyes wouldn't dart off anymore.

While Naruto was facing inner turmoil, his girlfriend was curiously observing him. Even though she was embarrassed by the situation, she couldn't help but feel amusement at the violent clash between the blond's iron will and the temptation standing so close near him, judging from the fidgeting and rapid change of expressions she caught glimpse off. The fact he was trying to take her feelings into consideration was quite endearing and Fu couldn't help but feel happy that she had such a boyfriend.

Of course, she had looked over his body. Considering the situation they were in and the fact they had just started dating, it would be foolish if she didn't look. She had seen his chest and torso before, but this time it was different. Not to mention she could see his well-toned legs and despite herself, her eyes would always seem to wonder over his crotch. She was a teenager after all.

Fu smirked nervously, trying to lessen the discomfort of the situation. "What's wrong? Afraid you'll find out you have more in common with sensei than you'd like to believe?"

"Y- yeah, right. How many times have I said I'm not a pervert?"

"This coming from the guy who invented a jutsu that turns him into a naked female with abnormally large tits." Naruto sputtered and Fu chuckled a bit, the atmosphere now slightly more comfortable.

After a pause, she spoke up again. "Naruto… There's nothing wrong with looking in this situation. In fact, it'd be strange if you didn't. Or maybe you don't find me attractive?" She questioned, the second statement having a slightly dejected tone. She didn't know what it was, but for some reason she really felt like teasing him. Maybe it was because he looked so cute when he was embarrassed.

Naruto's eyes widened and he rapidly turned his head towards her. "Of course not, Fu! You're really beautiful, I just... don't..." he trailed of, with his gaze wandering over her body, any coherent thought completely discarded. Fu felt her face heating up under his intense look and had to surpass the urge to cover herself. That would make things awkward and besides, she trusted Naruto. She realized she was more worried weather he would like her body, since like any girl she had her own insecurities. Not getting any compliments in her life until yesterday only increased them. She felt so exposed, so vulnerable, so _naked_, like she was baring everything she had for him to see. Fu knew Naruto wasn't the type of person to do something like that, but she felt a bit scared at the prospect of him crushing her heart with his disapproval.

With her blush ever so present, she looked away slightly, swallowing the lump in her throat and sporting a nervous smile "Like what you see?"

Her innocent question produced an immediate effect, snapping Naruto's gaze away from her body and onto her face. His cheeks immediately reddened as he realized he had been checking out Fu's gorgeous form for who knows how long. What if she felt insulted? What if she thought he just wanted her body? What if she broke up with him? _'Smooth, Naruto, very smooth. Keep this up and you'll probably set the new world record for fastest guy ever dumped.' _Dispelling the frightening thoughts, the blond began spluttering apologies and asking for forgiveness at a speed that could very well rival the one of his late father. It was amazing how fast the tongue could work under pressure.

His slightly insane ramblings were cut short when he heard a giggle and a hand cupped his cheek. He focused on a gently smiling Fu, who had decided to finally give her boyfriend some peace "I don't mind if you look Naruto. I told you, in this situation it'd be weird if you didn't. I wouldn't have agreed to enter, if I didn't trust you." She smiled shyly as Naruto nodded, relieved that he wasn't in trouble. His comfort was brief, when he saw the cute smile changing into an evil smirk. "Besides, I checked you out as well, so it's only fair." The green-haired girl giggled as she pointedly looked down.

Naruto's eyes widened at the sudden realization and the boy had the feeling his cheeks were so warm from blushing, that he could actually cook something on them. "Wha.. H-hey! Maybe you are the one the Pervy Sage rubbed off on!" He pointed an accusing finger, which was only meant by Fu's giggle. Soon enough, the blond was drawn in and laughed. The pair began to really relax after this and sunk into the water, enjoying the temperature and the other's company. After a few minutes, Naruto moved closer to the green haired girl, who did the same until their shoulders were touching.

They took peaks at each other from time to time, now feeling more comfortable with each other's naked presence. Unfortunately, Naruto realized he was getting a reaction and even though she had said she was fine with him looking, something like that was going a bit over the top. He immediately stopped taking glances and tried to calm down, by forcing himself to think of the most unarousing things possible.

Fu had noticed her boyfriend had stopped looking at her and now had a frown painted on his face. She wondered what the cause behind it was and her insecurities were immediately brought back to the surface. She bit her lip before letting out a sigh. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to be direct, but this would never stop bothering her.

"You never answered my question, you know." The girl spoke, looking away in embarrassment. Naruto turned a questioning look at her and immediately replayed what was said in his mind. Confusion overcame him as he realized what she was talking about. How could she even ask? But then the blond noticed her tensed body, the expectant look... Realizing what that meant, he smirked. It was payback time.

"Which question?" he asked, faking his usual obliviousness. "Hmm... Oh, you mean if I liked what I saw?"

Too embarrassed to say anything, his girlfriend nodded ever so slightly. "Weeeeeeeell..." Naruto drew out, pointedly looked over every spot of her whole body. Fu's heart tightened as the prospect of him not liking her body seemed all too real now. The blond though decided it was enough and cupped her cheek, making her meet his gaze "I've seen many beautiful women, but I've never met anyone as stunning as you." he smiled gently.

Fu felt her face burn. This was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to her. She realized he had drawn it out on purpose, but the girl felt so happy, she decided to let it slide this time. In fact she was about to jump and kiss him, when she noticed something. Averting her gaze down, Fu saw Naruto was saluting. Caught up in his teasing, looking over her body so much had actually backfired. The mint-haired girl smirked.

"Well, I think it's decided. It looks like you are the one that has taken the teachings of sensei to heart." Fu couldn't keep herself from giggling as she pointed down. Realizing what she meant, Naruto was about to go into another fit of spluttering. This time he never had the chance as instead he yelped and jumped slightly from being poked in the ribs.

"Oh, just relax and enjoy the hot springs." Fu reprimanded him and leaned her head onto his shoulder, closing her eyes slightly. The blond just gulped and rested his head over hers, letting out a sigh. With the tension quickly leaving him, he moved his arm over her leg. He felt her tense at the sudden motion, but before she could do anything, the boy grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers. Fu relaxed and smiled as she realized what he had actually wanted to do.

As they sat together, the mint-haired girl thought of what the future could hold for them, which led to her remembering that in about half a year, they'd be making their way to Naruto's home village. That thought, of being surrounded by people who knew what she was, caused a small amount of worry to enter her heart.

"Naruto." The tanned girl said, getting the blond's attention. The blue eyed Jinchuriki turned to her to see her staring into the water, uncertainty clear on her features. "Do you think they'll accept me in Konoha? I don't want to go back to being hated after all this time."

Naruto gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure they will Fu."

Fu turned her head and met his gaze, clearly not reassured in the least. "Naruto… you had to save the entire village before they came to accept you, and no one in your generation knew you were a Jinchuriki." Her eyes fell back to the water. "They've probably been told about me, but they don't know me like you do, what if they think…"

"Fu." Naruto cut her off, cupping her chin and raising her face so he could look into her orange orbs. He understood why she felt this way. She had gotten used to being around people since she left Taki, even coming to enjoy it. This would be the first time since she lived in her home village she'd be surrounded by people who knew what she was. The thought of being glared at, of seeing those eyes that made him feel like he wasn't even human again, would terrify the blond had he not already realized what really mattered.

"Don't worry about what they think. I spent years trying to get the people of my village to see me for who I was, but you know what? I realized it didn't matter." Fu looked surprised as Naruto elaborated. "Whether they hate me or not, as long as I have my precious people, it doesn't matter what they or anyone else throw at me. And, out of everyone I care for, you're the most precious to me." Fu's eyes widened as a warm smile spread across his face as he moved his hand to her cheek. "As long as you're with me, nothing anyone says or does really matters. Don't forget the promise I made to you. I never go back on my word. You'll never be alone again, because I'll always be here for you."

Fu returned his smile, placing her hand over his as they gave each other a loving look, the girl's orange pools telling him her fears had withered away from his words. He took his hand away and she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder again. After a few minutes of silently relaxing together, Fu looked to the sky which was beginning to change to orange as the sun approached the horizon. "Look at the sky. Let's go, I want to watch the sunset again."

Naruto agreed and minutes later the pair had changed back into their kimono, left the spring, and were quickly making their way to the top of the highest building in town to get the best vantage point, but not before getting ice cream. They silently watched, enjoying each other's company on top of a building, sharing their frozen treat as they watched the sunset paint the horizon orange again. Afterwards, they walked home in the light of a crescent moon. They stopped as they got to the door of their hotel.

"Tonight was great, Naruto, I had a lot of fun. Was this your first date too?" Fu said with a smile.

"Not exactly, I went on a date with Sakura once, if you could call it that. She just went so we could talk about Sasuke." Naruto replied sadly, before perking up "But you know, I think I'll consider this one as my first date as well as my kiss with you as my first one. After all, you're the first girl I've felt so strongly for. With Sakura it was just a crush, but with you..." Naruto couldn't finish since his ability to speak was taken away by Fu's lips. His surprise was brief though as he closed his eyes and reciprocated the gesture, applying pressure with his mouth while enjoying the taste and feel of her warm, soft lips. The young couple threw their arms around each other as both felt a pleasurable jolt coupled with immense passion that neither had ever experienced before. When they separated, they looked at each other, their faces deep red.

"Wow." Fu said stupefied.

"Yeah…" Naruto was about to say something but was interrupted.

"Hey, you two." Jiraiya said, appearing behind them with a smirk, shocking the duo. "Sorry to interrupt, but Tsunade would kill me if you bring Fu to Konoha carrying a kid." the Jinchuriki's faces turned completely red with embarrassment.

"Pervy Sage! / Ero-sensei!"

"Relax, I'm just kidding. So, how'd it go?" A smirk worthy of his self proclaimed super pervert status spread across his face, immediately setting off alarms in both his students' minds before his next question confirmed their fears. "How was the hot spring?"

Fu paled slightly. "You were spying on us?"

"Come on, you didn't think I'd let my students go on their first date without making sure they had fun, now did you? So, Fu, was it harder than a kunai. And Naruto, I'm sure you finally see why I find the female form so irresistible, am I right?" The two Jinchuriki's faces turned matching shades of scarlet as the Toad Sannin chuckled. "I knew I'd rub off on the both of you, it's only a matter of time before you'll both be unable to keep your hands off each other." He laughed loudly as the blond finally found his voice and began to protest while the green haired girl tilted her head down, her hair covering her eyes.

Unfortunately for the sage, in the face of his students' new relationship, he had forgotten about Fu's earlier threat of what would happen to him if he were to peek on her. He immediately remembered and paled when the female Jinchuriki's head shot up, outrage blazing in her orange orbs as she formed a water sword in her hand.

The pervert spent the next three hours avoiding Fu's water sword while Naruto enjoyed the show before she gave up, promising she'd remember what he'd done. He made a silent note not to mention anything that might reveal his spying to the young couple next time, since it might very well jeopardize his latest masterpiece.

Soon enough, the excitement died down and the group prepared for sleep. As Naruto tied the sash on his sleepwear, he thought about some of what they talked about and knew Fu had made a good point. He had been told by Jiraiya his hotheadedness could get him killed and thinking about what happened to Sasuke he knew he had to learn to control his emotions. There were only about 6 months left till they returned to Konoha, so he still had time.

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><p>The two enjoyed the rest of their time in the town, growing closer for the next few days before they were on the move again. Three days later, the trio arrived at a rocky clearing with a river in the shadow of a mountain about halfway to the southwest border of the Land of Fire from Konoha, far enough away to be out of their range.<p>

"Alright kids, since we're coming down to the wire here, I want you to up your clones to 200. After you take your control of your Biju to the next level, we're going to focus on mastering what you know and increasing your speed and that of your jutsu until the final three months. Then, I want you to focus on making your own techniques."

"Sounds good. Oh, Fu, I want to teach you something." Naruto said, surprising the other two.

"Huh?" Fu said before Naruto opened up a scroll to reveal water balloons. "Water balloons? What could you teach me with these?" Fu asked before Naruto held out his hand and created an orb of chakra. "What's this?" Fu asked, amazed, having never seen such a jutsu before.

"The Rasengan… it's a jutsu created by my father and an A-rank technique… I want to teach it to you." Fu was surprised he wanted her to learn a jutsu left to him by his father. You would only teach something like this to a student or to someone close enough to be considered family. Fu smiled and thanked Naruto before they began to get ready to train. It would take them another two months before they were able to control their fourth tails.

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><p>Deep in an unknown cave, nine figures appeared, all their features obscured aside from their eyes.<p>

"Well, we're all together again, how long's it been, about two years?" One silhouette who had shark like eyes asked.

"So, I guess it's time we finally got started… yeah?" another asked.

"Yes… have any of you located your targets?" the apparent leader, who had purple eyes with four concentric rings centered on his pupil said.

"My target managed to make himself Kazekage… yeah. So I already know where to find him."

"The Kyuubi Jinchuriki is still with Jiraiya of the Sannin." a red eyed shadow said with no emotion.

"Heh, I know where the Yonbi is. I hear he's skilled with the Lava Style, should be a challenge." the shark like silhouette stated.

"Heh… I can't really focus on this. Goes against my religion to take someone alive. Maybe me and Kakuzu would be better off sticking to bounty hunting. I can't stand the bastard's obsession with money, but I get to kill and he gets what he wants."

"That's not an option, fool. Each of us has one target." the now named Kakuzu said.

"Hey, I'm just saying."

"Kakuzu is correct, Hidan. Speaking of whom, Kakuzu, have you located the Nanabi?"

"Hn, there was a surprise. The Nanabi was given to my old village. But according to my contact, they gave the Jinchuriki to Konoha to avoid fighting us. Smartest decision they've made in a while. The Nanabi is currently with Jiraiya of the Sannin along with the Kyuubi." Kakuzu said to the surprise of most of the other members.

"That sounds interesting. How about you take those two bitches while I curse the old man? I don't have to break my tenets and we get a two for one deal." Hidan said confidently.

"You need to stop underestimating others, Hidan. Jiraiya is out of our league."

"That is right. You would be unable to kill Jiraiya and there is no telling what the two have learned from him." the leader replied, remembering his own training under the Sannin. "This news is unwelcome, but it changes little. Originally, the Nanabi was to be first, followed by the Gobi, but we will put off its capture for now. Have any of the other been located."

"Hidan's target, the Nibi, as well as the Hachibi are in Kumo." Kakuzu said.

"**I haven't located the Sanbi yet.** Doesn't have a host, should be an interesting fight. **We haven't located the Rokubi either.**" a shadow with a what appeared to be Venus Fly Trap coming out of its torso and around its head stated. The leader nodded. They knew the Rokubi Jinchuriki was a missing nin, it was only a matter of time before he was located and he had no affiliation with the villages so they may not even notice his capture. They already knew everything about him, aside from his location.

"Konan and I will capture the Gobi, the rest of you, continue to secure jobs and funds as you search for information on your targets." the shadows nod and vanish. '_Soon… peace will arrive._' the leader thought before he too vanished.

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><p><strong>I apologize if the romance part was bad. I myself have no experience in romance, neither in writing or real life sadly, so my first attempt at it probably wasn't that good, I had serious trouble writing it. If you have any suggestions or opinions on what I should have done differently, please tell me.<strong>

**In case anyone wonders why Naruto and Fu's swords are both worth 5 million and the Kiba blades are worth 20, it's because they're famous.**

**Please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow… this is the longest chapter I've ever written, the return to Konoha. Well, I had fun writing it, that's what matters. **

**By the way, I'm changing their clothing slightly. For example, due to alternate training, (and the fact that I don't know what it does) Fu will not have that red cylinder. **

**Many of the reviewers have written about how they look forward to Sakura and Hinata's reactions to Naruto and Fu's relationship. Sorry to disappoint with Sakura but, what I had Fu say was actually how I think Sakura feels about Naruto, I think she cares for him like a sibling, so she wouldn't be particularly upset, maybe a bit jealous that she's pining for someone who isn't there where as he found someone, though that's just her initial reaction and her feelings on it may change down the line. She'd be much more concerned with the possibility of being relatively useless again in my opinion. Hinata… well… she won't be showing up for a while, that's all I'm saying right now.**

**I thank you all those who reviewed and favorited this story.**

**Update 3/5/2012: Like the previous chapter, this chapter has been revised. For the most part, the revisal consists of minor changes or corrections, but the scene at the end where our favorite pair of Jinchuriki confess their love for each other has been changed completely. Please read and tell me what you think.**

**I do not own Naruto.**

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><p>At a camp in the land of fire, a few miles away from Konoha, Naruto began to stir from slumber. As he awakened, the first thing he noticed was the warmth of another body next to him. Lying on his side, the blond opened his eyes and smiled as he was greeted by the face his girlfriend, still sleeping peacefully at his side with some of her green hair draped over her features.<p>

The two began sleeping together one month into their training with their fourth tails. Whenever they went that far during their training, they would be forced to enter their version 2 forms and it would damage their bodies to the point their skin would burn off and it would leave them drained and sore. They slept together to comfort each other after this harsh training and found that they'd never had a more restful and pleasant slumber than when they had the other by their side. Mastery meant they could enter the four tailed state and not uncontrollably enter version 2 of their chakra cloaks. Using the version 1 form was fine, they could call and dismiss the chakra with little repercussions, version 2 however was still very damaging and taxing to use, but it wasn't as bad and though inadvisable they would still be able to fight fairly well afterwards. Their five tailed states were still uncontrollable and they would still automatically enter version 2 if they went that far.

Over the last four months, the two had improved all their skills greatly thanks to their clones. Fu had learned a few earth jutsu to be used in conjunction with lightning jutsu to create fields and barriers. Naruto, after reading up on sensors and keeping in mind what he had learned about Sage Techniques, particularly their ability to sense others, had come up with a perception jutsu that allowed him to infuse his chakra into the wind. It took him two months of focusing one hundred clones on it but he had completed it. The technique, which he named 'Wind Dragon's Vigilance', allowed him to sense everyone in an eight kilometer radius, from their location to their chakra levels. By focusing on an individual, he could even sense their movements and read their chakra to the point where he could tell if they were under a genjutsu(or he could focus on himself). Fu had also come up with something fairly unique, though it was actually an incomplete version of another more famous technique. She could channel lightning through her nervous system and enhance her reflexes, reaction times and speed. It took a lot of concentration at the moment and was only possible due to her mastery of lightning thanks to Jiraiya's training with the five pronged seal, but she was sure that, with her shadow clones working on it, she would soon complete the technique and using it would become second nature to her. Jiraiya's chakra control training also allowed them to learn and create several techniques that relied on shape manipulation.

They had high jonin to low kage level skill with genjutsu and were experts at sealing, though not masters of the art yet. Speaking of seals, they had also found ways of combining it with their Biju's chakra for some devastating results. The Biju decided to allow it because the results of the combination intrigued them, particularly the effect it had on their enemies. Naruto's skill in space-time jutsu had also improved and by combining it with sealing jutsu, he had created seals that were applied on his and Fu's wrists that stored their swords and allowed them to call the swords to their hands instantly if separated from them, insuring they couldn't lose them or have the blades used against them. They had also learned the truth about the Rasengan and had made some progress in completing it, though nothing useable had come of it yet.

To further increase their experience with real combat and with leadership, they went on a few more bounty missions. One was against a gang of ten chunin level missing nin led by a mid jonin with hostages which net them 34 million. Their performance on that mission also proved to Jiraiya they had learned what it meant to lead missions. Jiraiya had sent a messenger toad ahead to tell Tsunade what they had done and his recommendation, though he left out their skills in case the message was intercepted.

While they traveled through the land of fire, Jiraiya had decided to travel to the Fire Temple and stay for two weeks during the last month. There, the pair met Chiriku, a member of the Twelve Ninja Guardians of the Land of Fire who they both came to respect, and a boy named Sora. The boy was rude, mocked them and generally acted like a jerk, even to the other monks. Naruto and Fu didn't get along with him at first to the point where Naruto got into several fights with him, until they noticed he was this way because he was treated almost the same way they were in their villages by the other monks. The only one who treated him differently was Chiriku. They asked the man why Sora was shunned like that and he only told them it was something his father did and because of unique powers he had. After this, the two made it a mission to befriend the boy and, although he rejected their attempts at first, they eventually told him of their pasts. After this, he decided to give them a chance and they eventually became friends. It also helped that they could sympathize with the fact that Sora lost his father when he was too young to remember him. He even taught Naruto one of two unique, powerful wind jutsu he created, in exchange for some techniques Naruto knew.

The pair of Jinchuriki had also grown closer over this time, though the amount of time they spent training had limited their time together. Two and a half years had passed since Naruto left with Jiraiya, today was the day for their return to Konoha. Naruto was anxious to see his old home. Fu was excited though there was slight apprehension. There was part of her that was afraid she would be treated like she was back in Taki, despite Naruto's reassurances.

Naruto sat up and heard a light moan beside him, turning his head, he saw Fu's orange eyes looking up at him.

"Morning already?" Fu asked drowsily as she sat up and stretched.

"Yeah, today's the day we finally get back to Konoha. Ready Fu?"

"I guess." Fu replied.

"You're not still worried are you?"

"Sorry… it's just… after all this time; I don't want to go back to what it was like in Taki."

"Hey, we talked about this, didn't we? It won't be the same as Taki, because no matter what they think, I'll be with you." Naruto said as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, who smiled and returned the hug.

"Thank you, Naruto. For everything."

"Hey, you two." Jiraiya said, interrupting the pair. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's about time we head out, get ready."

"You got it, Pervy Sage." Naruto said as he and Fu got up. Jiraiya sighed.

"Are you two ever going to stop calling me those names?"

"Only if you stop peeking on women, Ero-sensei." Fu said with a smirk.

"Tch, whatever, get yourselves ready."

* * *

><p>It was a beautiful day in Konoha, the sun shining down on the village as the trio walked through the front gates. Naruto now stood at 5'5 and Fu at 5'4. In addition to the black and orange tracksuit, Naruto now wore a black forehead protector and a red, short sleeved coat with black flame designs that had been a gift from Jiraiya (<strong>AN Same coat from when he fought Pain. What can I say, I thought it was badass and decided I would make it a permanent part of his outfit**).

"So, this is Konoha? You were right, the Hokage monument's something else." Fu noted as she looked around, to be honest, she liked the look of Taki better, but Konoha still seemed like a nice place to live.

"You nervous, Fu?"

"A little… it's my first day in my new home."

"Don't be, everything will be fine." Naruto said as he looked around. "I can't believe it's been two and a half years ." the blond said before jumping up and running up the side of a power pole to the top, he spread his arms wide as he stood on the pole and took in the sight of his home for the first time in almost three years. "I missed this place. It hasn't changed a bit."

Fu smiled as she watched her boyfriend. "He sure is excited, isn't he?" She asked the sage standing beside her.

"Heh, tell me about it." Jiraiya replied with a smirk.

"Just shows how much he loves this village." Fu said.

"Eh?" the blond noticed Tsunade's face on the Hokage monument. "So, they added Tsunade's ugly mug to the mountain." he chuckled.

"You've grown a lot, haven't you, Naruto?" a calm voice asked. Naruto, Fu and Jiraiya looked to a nearby building to see Kakashi Hatake sitting on a nearby roof, reading his favorite book as usual.

"Yo." the silver haired man waved to his student. Naruto was slightly resentful of him. He had realized how little he had taught him and Sakura over the years, but he was willing to give him a second chance.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, you haven't changed a bit." Naruto said, jumping down to Kakashi's spot. "Oh, yeah. Hey! I have a present for you." Kakashi looked at him curiously.

* * *

><p>"Sakura." A woman's voice said as she walked into a room. She was the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade.<p>

"Yes?" Replied a pink haired teenager, Sakura Haruno, as she turned her head to face her.

"It seems Naruto's returned." Tsunade said with a smile.

* * *

><p>"What! Ho-How… This is…." Kakashi said, his visible eye wide and trembling as he held Naruto's present. The newest book of the Icha-Icha series, Icha-Icha Tactics.<p>

"Yeah, the latest in the Icha-Icha series, Jiraiya gave it to me, but I don't really like that kind of thing, so you can have it."

"Thank you, Naruto." Kakashi said, holding the book like a holy relic.

"So, you're Naruto's sensei when he was on Team 7?" Fu asked, jumping to the roof herself.

"That's right." Kakashi said, calming down. "You must be Fu, Tsunade told me about you. I look forward to seeing what you and Naruto have learned under Jiraiya. Oh, and welcome to Konoha."

"You know about…" Fu began nervously.

"Your tenant? Yes, I know. The shinobi were all briefed on it. Thanks to Naruto, most have changed their views on Jinchuriki. You'll be welcomed here." Kakashi assured her, much to her relief.

"Me?" Naruto asked.

"Of course, after you saved the village from Gaara, everyone started seeing you for the hero you were. I don't think I told you, but I'm proud to be your sensei, taking on a fully transformed Jinchuiki isn't easy, especially for a genin." Kakashi said with his patented eye smile.

"But… I couldn't stop Sasuke." Naruto said sadly, a pang of pain in his heart as he remembered his failure to his teammates. Fu took his hand in hers to comfort him, something Kakashi didn't miss.

"Naruto…" Kakashi stood and took a step forward, placing a hand on the blond's shoulder and making him meet him his eyes. "Sasuke chose his path. As his friend and comrade, your job was to help him, but you couldn't make his choices for him. You could only try to help him make the right ones. Don't blame yourself for what happened. It wasn't you're fault."

"Thanks, I guess you're right." Naruto said before smiling a bit. In truth Kakashi's words meant a lot to him, since he always thought he let his team down with his failure. Giving his old sensei a second chance proved to be the right decision. He dropped his smile and looked at the jonin seriously. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hm?"

"Can you tell me… what it was like training under my old man?" Naruto asked and Kakashi's eye widened.

"Jiraiya told you?" Kakashi asked, surprised.

"Yeah… there's a story behind that… I'll tell you when I tell Tsunade." Naruto answered, knowing he should wait until they are in a secure location with Tsunade before talking about Madara and the events of the night of his birth.

"Hmm… well, I'm interested to hear it, and I'll be happy to tell you what it was like training under your father later." Kakashi said, eye smiling again.

"Great. Hey, Fu, how about I show you Ichiraku's?" Naruto said as he turned to Fu.

"Sure, I want to see if it lives up to everything you've said about it." Fu replied.

"You'll see, it's the best ramen in the Elemental Nations!" Naruto replied taking her hand.

"Hey, hang on." Kakashi said, causing the two to stop just as they started to jump off the roof. "Are you two…" He trails off, the two blush in response and nod. "Huh, so you've given up on Sakura huh?"

"Yeah. What I felt with Sakura… it was just a crush compared to what I have with Fu." Naruto said, wrapping an arm around Fu's waist and pulling her close, causing her to turn to him and give him a smile, which he returned.

"Well, I'm glad for you, I know you've both had more than you're share of pain."

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto smiled at him.

"Oh, by the way, could you help me with the lightning element later? I've heard a lot about your Chidori." Fu asked the copy ninja.

"Huh? You're a lightning element too, huh?"

"Lightning and water actually."

"Well, what do you know? Though lightning is my affinity, I happen to be good with water jutsu too. I'll help with both anyway I can, just ask."

"Thanks, see you later, Mr. Hatake." Fu replied.

"No need for that. Kakashi or Kakashi-sensei is fine." the copy ninja waved her off, making the mint-haired girl smile.

"Thanks, Kakashi." the girl replied before the two Jinchuriki were on their way.

Jiraiya looked after them, slightly annoyed Naruto had given away his book as the copy ninja jumped down and landed beside him.

"So, how good are they?" Kakashi asked the Sannin.

"Well, Naruto figured out how the shadow clones worked… and he taught it to Fu." Jiraiya said with a smirk and Kakashi turned to him, eye slightly widened. "I'd say they're strong enough to take on most of the Akatsuki and they have a wide variety of jutsu. But their still perfecting their own jutsu and they have a bit more to learn. There's always room to improve, and they're going to need it." Jiraiya said, turning grim. "Akatsuki's beginning to move. According to my intel, they may already have one of the Biju. Like I said, I'm confident they could take most of them, but neither is ready to face the likes of Itachi Uchiha alone yet." Jiraiya said before they heard a yell. Down the street, Naruto and Fu had stopped as Naruto ran into a pair of familiar faces - Sakura and Tsunade. Sakura turned to the Jinchuriki.

Naruto was visibly surprised to run into his old teammate in the middle of a street. "Sakura?"

"Eh? Naruto?" Sakura was no less stunned at seeing the blond. She could tell he'd changed a lot from the day she'd last laid eyes on him. She briefly observed the changes in his appearance before she noticed the green haired girl beside him. The chunin could hardly hide her surprise when she noticed how he was holding the girl's hand with their fingers intertwined. She wondered who the new girl was before she was snapped out of her thoughts by the blond's voice.

"It is you. Long time no see, Sakura. How've you been?" Naruto greeted with a smile.

Sakura returned the smile as she turned her attention back to the blond. "Good, Lady Tsunade's taught me a lot over the years." She said before she turned back to the green haired girl. "So, who's your new friend?"

Naruto grinned. "Glad you asked. Sakura, meet my girlfriend."

Sakura's eyes widened, shock overcoming her features as her gaze darted back and forth between the young couple. "Wh- what?"

Both Jinchuriki smirked from the look of complete bewilderment on the pink haired kunoichi's face before Fu took a step forward, offering her hand. "I'm Fu, formerly of Taki. It's nice to meet you. Naruto's said a lot about you and the rest of your graduating class."

Sakura recovered and took her hand, still a little stunned. "Fu?... Right, you're the one Lady Tsunade told us about. It's nice to meet you, too. So, are you two really…?" Fu smiled and nodded. The medic-nin could feel a slight pang of jealousy towards the two. Fu because she apparently now held the blond's heart and Naruto because he'd found someone while the one she longed for was gone, but overall, she was happy for them. Knowing Naruto cared for her helped her out sometimes when Sasuke turned her down, but, though she had grown closer to him, she had come to care for Naruto more as a sibling and didn't think she could ever think of him the way he had wished she did. She was glad he'd moved on and found someone he'd hopefully find happiness with. She smiled as she continued. "Well, I'm happy for you." She turned back to Naruto. "I guess you've grown up in more ways than one, huh Naruto?"

Naruto grinned and chuckled. "Yep. Wait till you see how much I've learned. I'm well on my way to becoming the next Hokage."

"I'll be the judge of that, brat." Tsunade spoke up and stepped forward, deciding that she had let them meet and catch up for long enough.

Naruto smiled at his grandmother figure. "I was wondering when you were going to speak up. Good to see you, Grandma Tsunade."

Tsunade's eye twitched. "Since this is your first time back in the village in almost three years, I'm going to let that slide." She then turned to the Nanabi Jinchuriki. "So, you're Fu. I've gotta say, I'm surprised to hear you are together with this knucklehead. He certainly needs someone to keep him in check." She smirked at the indignant look on the blond's face, but continued before he could protest. "I trust Jiraiya trained you well and the two of you were able to keep the pervert in line."

"Yes, Lady Hokage. And let me say it's an honor to meet one of the most renowned kunoichi in the elemental nations. I've looked up to you for a long time." Fu said with a slight bow.

"Well, it's nice to see you know how to show some respect unlike the brat." Tsunade said with a smile. "Ah, here's you're forehead protector, you're already registered as a shinobi of the Leaf." Tsunade reached into her robe, pulled out a forehead protector and handed it to Fu.

"Hey, why do you show her respect and not me? I'm the one who trained you for the past two and a half years." Jiraiya asked as the green haired Jinchuriki took the forehead protector.

"Because she's the Hokage while you're a dirty old man who peeks on girls in hot springs and often acts like a child." Fu deadpanned and Jiraiya crossed his arms and grumbled about disrespectful brats. "You're really not helping yourself by acting like that, Ero-sensei." Fu said and everyone present except Jiraiya and Kakashi chuckled.

"Yo, Boss!" a young voice called out, the group turned to see Konohamaru, who stood in the middle of the road. The boy made a hand sign, in a poof of smoke, the boy is replaced by a buxom woman, her breasts and crotch barely hidden with smoke. "Sexy Jutsu!"

Jiraiya reacts to this as one would expect, he yells out in joy with a perverted grin on his face as his nose bled. Tsunade and Fu's faces took on looks of annoyance, Sakura looked shocked and offended, Naruto looked at his younger brother figure calmly and Kakashi seemed to ignore the whole thing while he read his new book.

"How was that? Not too bad, huh?" Konohamaru asked excited, Naruto just chuckled.

"Sorry Konohamaru, but I'm not a kid anymore, and you shouldn't be using jutsu like that either." Naruto said and Konohamaru looked dejectedly to the ground as Sakura and Fu smiled at the blond, thinking of how much he had grown. Naruto went to Konohomaru and put a hand over his shoulder "Don't worry, I'll teach you a really cool jutsu later, OK? And maybe even an improved version of the other one." the last part was said in whisper followed by a wink from the blond, which clearly said 'this stays between the two of us or no jutsu'.

Konohamaru gave a brief mischievous grin before he schooled his features and smiled. "Really? Thanks, Boss." A moment later, Fu turned to Jiraiya with a slightly evil smirk.

"You know, Ero-sensei, the entire time you were looking at that 'girl', you were actually ogling a twelve year old boy?" she asked, causing Jiraiya to jerk, a disgusted look crossing his face as it turned green.

The Hokage grinned in amusement at her teammate's discomfort. "I think we're going to get along just fine, Fu."

"Must you always spoil my fun?" the super pervert sobbed.

"Of course not." Fu replied sweetly. "So long as A) it's not perverted and B) you're not using our money, I'll be happy to leave you to your fun."

"Wait, he used your money? Doesn't he make enough from his books?" Kakashi asked. He thought his favorite series were works of literary art, so how could the author be poor enough to have to mooch off a couple of kids. Similar thoughts (though not about the quality of the books) were going through everyone else's heads and Jiraiya shrunk back as Tsunade and Sakura glared at him.

"He does. He's rich, we've seen his checkbook. But he's also stingy." Fu said, slightly annoyed as she recalled how Jiraiya had spent her money.

"We caught him paying for women and sake with our money and charged him with shadow clones, he avoided most of our attacks… until one of my clones got behind him and used '1000 Years of Death'. He never tried again after that." Naruto smirked and began to laugh at the memory and everyone present, all of whom knew of the joke technique, laughed at the thought of it being used on the Sannin, even Kakashi chuckled this time.

'_Damn brats._' Jiraiya thought slightly panicked. '_I'm losing face here, gotta change the subject._' "So, Tsunade, what have you taught Sakura?"

"Trying to change the subject to save face, huh?" Tsunade noted with a smirk. "Anyway, it is about time to get serious. My original plan was for Kakashi face the three of you in a bell test, but if what Jiraiya wrote to me is true, that's probably a bad idea. Naruto, you'll be going one on one against Kakashi and Fu, you'll be taking on another jonin of Konoha, Asuma Sarutobi."

"Asuma Sarutobi? Of the Twelve Guardian Ninja?" Fu asked, surprised.

"Ah, you've heard of him? Yes, the same, Asuma and his team are waiting at the Third Training Ground. You're performance will determine your future status."

* * *

><p>Naruto, Fu, Sakura and Kakashi walked to the Third Training Ground, the trio of teens sharing a few stories of their time under the Sannin, when they arrived, they found Asuma, Shikamaru, Ino and Choji waiting for them. Secretly, Jiraiya, Tsunade and Shizune were watching from the nearby forest.<p>

"Hey, Naruto, long time no see." Ino said happily.

"Hey, Ino, good to see you." Naruto replied with a smile.

"Glad you're back." Choji said.

"Just got here today huh?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah, less than an hour ago."

"So, have you grown up any, got any smarter?" Shikamaru asked.

"Surprisingly, yes, he has." Sakura said with a smile of her own.

"Really, well isn't that a surprise?" Shikamaru smirked, causing Naruto to look slightly dejected and Fu to giggle.

"That's good, no offence, Naruto. So, who's the new girl?" Ino asked.

"This is my girlfriend, Fu from Taki." Naruto introduced the green haired girl as he hugged her waist slightly. This came as a surprise to team 10, while Fu couldn't help but blush and feel extremely happy at Naruto's declaration.

"What, seriously?" Choji asked, overcoming the shock first. "Congratulations you guys."

"Yeah, congrats man. Guess you really did grow up since you left the village." Shikamaru added.

Ino nodded. "Good for you guys… Though I can't believe you're the first one of us in a relationship." She said the last part quietly before turning to the green haired Jinchuriki. "So, you're Fu, huh? I hope you feel at home in our village."

"Thanks, I think I'm going to like it here. So far, no one's been bothering me about…" She stopped and trailed off.

"Yeah, I always noticed Naruto was treated differently, never figured out why until we were told about his tenant, sorry I wasn't there for you more man." Shikamaru said and the other chunin nodded. Once the rest of the Konoha 11 found out the truth about Naruto, they had all connected the dots on his mistreatment and kicked themselves for not helping him more, not so much Tenten, who didn't really know him, but still she did too after the effect he had on Neji. In addition, Neji now understood that Naruto had his life seemingly ruined by a seal too, but overcame it, increasing his respect for the blond.

"Ah, that's alright, I didn't want pity anyway, you know." Naruto said.

"Glad to hear that, now Choji won't beat himself up over it anymore. Told you he wouldn't have wanted pity." Ino commented, smirking at her overweight teammate. "Looks like we're going to have to step up our game and find someone for ourselves, huh, Sakura? Can't let ourselves lose out in love, can we? So, what's it like, having a boyfriend and being a student of the infamous pervert of the Sannin?" She turned to Fu at the end. As the two girls began to talk, Shikamaru turned to the male Jinchuriki.

"Hey, Naruto." The lazy chunin beckoned, pulling Naruto off to the side. "This girl of yours, she troublesome in anyway? Hope you're not whipped like my old man."

Naruto snorted. "No. She's my partner as well as my girlfriend, things are pretty even between us."

Shikamaru raised a brow. "That so? Most of the girls I've met tend to boss people around, like Sakura and Ino."

Naruto chuckled, thinking of all the times Ino often motivated Shikamaru, in other words pretty much forced him to do something, and had to remind Choji to curb his snacking habits. "Actually, she doesn't boss me, but rather... We talk a lot, you know. And she has made me realize a lot of things I've been doing wrong and helped me out with them quite a bit. Like always rushing into battle for example…" Naruto explained. "Anyway, how about you? Got you're eye on anyone? Maybe a certain blonde?" he smirked at the end, gesturing to the Yamanaka heiress.

"What?" Shikamaru was taken aback.

Before the Nara heir could speak further, Ino called out, "Hey, what are you guys talking about over there?"

The two looked over and rejoined the group. "Nothing, just catching up on old times." Naruto said.

"Well, good to see you guys are getting along already." Asuma said, stepping forward. "Nice to meet you, Fu. And welcome back, Naruto. I'm looking forward to seeing how you've grown since you left the village."

"Hey, Asuma-sensei, how's Kurenai?" Naruto replied with his toothy smile. Asuma sighed.

"Was it that obvious? Did everyone know?" Asuma asked and everyone laughed. He knew that Naruto had just gotten back and chances are no one had told him about him and Kurenai. If even he, the most oblivious and naïve person out there, knew before he left, when they were trying to keep it a secret, everyone probably did.

"Ah… this place sure brings back memories; this was where our genin exam took place." Naruto said with a smile as he reminisced.

"Yeah… and back then…" Sakura said.

"That's right… back then… Sasuke was around too…" Kakashi stated. Suddenly, all the warmth was sucked out of the air as the group's minds turned to the wayward Uchiha. Naruto seemed slightly depressed by the memory of his friend, who he failed to help. Fu comforted her boyfriend as Shikamaru and Choji did the same for their blond teammate, who stared at the ground with a pained expression. However, none took it as bad as Sakura, who curled up in a ball with a cloud of gloom over her head and muttered "Sasuke…" '_Sasuke's a taboo subject for Sakura huh?_' Kakashi asked himself.

"Anyway, it's about time we got started." Kakashi said, walking forward. "Naruto and I will go first, then Fu and Asuma, we can all catch up more later." the copy ninja said as he walked into the clearing away from the others.

"Alright." Naruto said, walking over and standing across from Kakashi. "You gonna start off reading that book this time, Kakashi-sensei?"

" Oh, I think I should save the pleasure of memorizing it for later." Kakashi said, uncovering his Sharingan. "I think I better take this seriously, considering Lady Hokage wanted you to fight me one on one." Naruto smirked in response as both tensed and prepared themselves. "Shikamaru, will you do the honors?"

"Sure, it's not too troublesome." Shikamaru stepped forward and stood for a moment. "Okay, start!" Naruto poofed into smoke, much to the surprise of almost everyone there.

"A clone? When did he…?" Kakashi said before he sensed something. He turned to see Naruto beside a tree throw a shuriken. He was curious what this was for until he saw Naruto quickly run through hand signs, the speed of said signs impressing him.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto called out and the one shuriken became about a hundred, before they were even half way to Kakashi, Naruto had already finished another technique. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" a powerful gust of wind slammed into the shuriken, speeding them up and increasing their power, just as they reached Kakashi, he was suddenly replaced with a log which is torn to pieces in seconds.

"Huh, a wind user, who'd have thought?" Asuma said absent mindedly.

"Wow that was a pretty good combination." Ino noted.

Kakashi appeared behind Naruto, a kunai at his throat. "Well, that was unexpected, but I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that." he said before Naruto smirked. Suddenly, the blond exploded, sending Kakashi flying… until he poofed into smoke.

"A Shadow Clone Explosion huh? Interesting." Asuma said, remembering seeing the attack from Itachi as the other spectators looked on.

'_You really have grown, Naruto… I really will have to take this seriously._' Kakashi thought as he hid behind a tree.

Naruto decided then to activate his Wind Dragon's Vigilance Technique and made the necessary hand sign. Kakashi's eyes widened as his Sharingan saw chakra saturating the air. Not enough to obscure his vision but it was there. '_What is this? This chakra is-_' he thought before dodging as his senses, honed by years of experience, warned him of impending danger, a kunai with an explosive note dug into the tree where he had just been hiding and he jumped back as it exploded.

Naruto appeared behind Kakashi and threw a punch but Kakashi blocked the attack and jumped back to avoid a follow up kick.

"Ok, you have ninjutsu down… let's see your taijutsu." Kakashi said as he got ready.

"Just like last time, right Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto charged forward and engaged the jonin in a taijutsu fight. Kakashi was shocked, he could barely keep up with Naruto, even with the Sharingan, he found himself on the defensive. Naruto ducked under a kick and attempted a leg sweep, which Kakashi jumped over, Naruto then launched himself towards Kakashi and with a punch aimed at his face. Kakashi blocked with both arms but was kneed in the stomach and then kicked by the blond, sending him through the air and into a tree, the bark cracking at the impact.

"Wow, he nailed him." Sakura said.

"What did you expect? You know what we're going to have to deal with." Fu noted, causing them to remember the pair had been training to fight the Akatsuki.

"True… but I wonder how he found Kakashi so fast." Shikamaru said.

"It's a technique that uses the wind to mimic the abilities of sensors. He calls it the Wind Dragon's Vigilance." Fu explained.

"That's incredible." Asuma noted. "It was thought possible to do something like that but it's been pure theory for years. What's his range?"

"Eight kilometers." Fu replied to the groups shock.

Despite the fact that he was almost on the other side of the training ground, Naruto was able to cross the distance between them in an instant and the copy ninja barely avoided a kick that almost knocked the tree down. Kakashi used the body flicker to increase the distance between them but was shocked when Naruto proved faster with the jutsu and was forced to block a kick.

Naruto jumped high into the air to avoid a sweeping kick and attempted an axe-kick but Kakashi rolled out of the way, the ground fractured on impact. Kakashi went to counter but Naruto jumped back and Kakashi ran through hand signs himself.

"OK, that's taijutsu, time for next lesson, genjutsu." Kakashi said before he vanished.

"Naruto." a voice growled. Naruto turned to see Sasuke standing there in his level two form, glaring at him menacingly.

"Heh, you're going to have to better than that, Kakashi-sensei, release!" Naruto said and the illusion shattered. "Let's see how you like it." Naruto said before he cast an illusion of his own and suddenly a tree grew out of the ground behind him and the bark wrapped itself around him.

"Huh, Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death, huh? I'm surprised you can use genjutsu Naruto, but you're going to have to do better too. Release!" Kakashi said before the illusion broke, only for him to suddenly feel the wind get knocked out of him. Another illusion shattered and he saw Naruto before him, his fist buried in his gut. '_This is… Demonic Illusion: Double False Surroundings? I underestimated him._' Kakashi thought, he was helpless as Naruto punched him three times before kicking him half way across the battlefield. Naruto created a single clone before holding out his hand and in a slight, visible flare of chakra, his sword; Hisho Taichi appeared in his hand.

"Huh? Where'd he get that sword?" Choji asked.

"It's called Hisho Taichi, it's a sword made for him in Takumi Village." Fu said. Asuma whistled.

"You got a sword made from the village of artisans? That's lucky, those are the finest weapons in the continents." Asuma noted.

"You have no idea." Fu smirked.

Naruto sweeps his blade sideways and called out "Tempest Wind!" and a powerful whirlwind was unleashed from the blade as his clone ran through hand signs. "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!" the clone breathed out a stream of fire which combined with the wind to create a firestorm of white hot flame. Kakashi cursed as he quickly Body Flickered out of the way.

"Woah, he's really not kidding around is he?" Shikamaru stated.

"Naruto…" Sakura said dumbfounded, she couldn't believe he was this far ahead of her.

Naruto looked around for Kakashi before he was suddenly pulled underground. Kakashi then popped of the ground and threw a kunai at the clone at near point blank, destroying it. Kakashi hadn't heard Fu's explanation of Naruto's sensing jutsu and so didn't know Naruto knew where he was all along.

"Looks like I got you, Naruto." Kakashi noted, before he was surprised as Naruto turned out to be a clone.

Two Naruto's then jumped into the air one used Wind Style: Great Breakthrough while the other used Fire Style: Phoenix flower, raining enhanced fireballs on Kakashi, who dodged them all, but all this was just a distraction as one of Naruto's clones prepared to cast another genjutsu, the other clones were for Replacement in case things went wrong, but Naruto was confident it was over.

Kakashi dodged another fireball, he would have used Water Wall, but against a fire and wind combination, that was useless. He managed to get to the nearby lake and ran through hand signs.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" a giant water dragon rose from the lake and flew towards the clones, destroying them. Kakashi only had a moment to breathe before he suddenly ducked to dodge a fast moving crescent of wind that cut down several trees behind him. He looked in the direction of the attack to see Naruto charging forward, slashing his sword and releasing more blades of wind. Kakashi charged and dodged them all, drawing a kunai and focusing chakra into the blade as he saw Naruto's sword was charged with wind chakra. The two clashed blades, exchanging blows and quickly, Kakashi found himself outclassed again, bringing out a second kunai to attempt to even the odds. While still on the defensive, he managed to block every attack. He blocked a powerful downward slash from Naruto with both his kunai when suddenly, Naruto disappeared, his body distorting and fading from the feet up until he was gone. Realizing he was caught in another illusion, he quickly broke it… to find he was surrounded. Naruto had his sword at his throat and three of his clones held kunai at three different vital spots.

"Looks like I win, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto smirked.

"Yeah… you've grown, Naruto. You may have already surpassed me." Kakashi said as Naruto removed his blades and dispelled his clones before sealing his sword away again. "We'll talk about your performance after Fu's test. Come on, let's join the spectators huh?" he said as he got his book out again.

"I can hardly believe that's the same boy I met three years ago." Shizune said, shocked Kakashi lost.

"So, what do you think, Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked.

"Well… if you have one positive trait, it's that you're a good teacher." Tsunade stated. '_His last move… he won using a weak genjutsu with perfect timing… and he had clones hidden just in case things went wrong. Also helps that he didn't just swarm him with shadow clones like he used to._' "I'll tell you my opinion when all's said and done… now, let's see what the girl can do." she finished as Naruto and Kakashi made it back to the group.

"Wow… I can't believe you actually won. Nice going." Shikamaru said, as the others congratulated him and Fu gave him a hug, Sakura gave a quiet congratulation then looked away and to the ground. She knew she wouldn't be able to take on their sensei yet. Naruto, and probably Sasuke too, were still beyond her. Even after all her work, she was still behind.

"That was an impressive sword, Fu said it was called Hisho Taichi. I'm guessing it helps you channel wind chakra." Asuma noted.

"Yeah, it lets me manipulate the wind and cast wind jutsu without hand signs with as little chakra as possible." Naruto replied.

"Huh, even by their standards that's impressive. You must have made quite the impression on someone for them to have made that for you." Asuma said.

"Yeah, this old guy, Seimei, he's a grumpy old man but he's alright." the blond replied before Asuma walked onto the field.

"So, I guess it's our turn next." Asuma said, taking his place.

"I'm honored to face one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja." Fu said as she stood across from him.

"Well, I'll try not to disappoint you, Shikamaru, whenever you're ready." Asuma said as he got out his trench knives and began channeling chakra through them.

"Alright… begin!" Shikamaru said.

Asuma and Fu charged at each other and Fu swept her hands back, in her right hand, she summoned her own blade, Okibi no Yaiba and in her left a water sword formed and she channeled raw chakra into both, strengthening them and causing Okibi no Yaiba to erupt in flames, much to the spectators shock. '_So, she's got one too._' Asuma noted as the two clashed. Asuma quickly found himself overwhelmed. Fu's dual blade style relied not only on precision but also overwhelming speed, which combined with the flames quickly put Asuma on the defensive, barely able to protect himself.

Asuma parried a slash from Fu's water sword and leaned back to avoid a sweeping kick from Fu, Asuma thought he saw an opening and slashed but Fu skipped back and threw her water blade. Asuma dodged to the side and charged as Fu dismissed her sword and began running through hand signs.

"Water Style: Water Wall!" Fu blew out a massive amount of water from her mouth which rose to form a protective wall and Asuma found himself caught in the wall of water as Fu quickly ran through more hand signs. '_Lightning Style: Earth Flash!_' Fu thought, unable to speak because of the water, and released a massive wave of electricity from her hands which traveled through the water and electrocuted Asuma.

'_Damn!_' Asuma cursed in his mind as he grit his teeth in pain as the lightning coursed through his body. He channeled wind chakra to nullify the lightning as best he could. After a few moments, Fu released her jutsu and Asuma jumped back out of the collapsing wall, twitching slightly. Fu then made the snake hand sign. '_Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave!_' Fu spit out an enormous wave of water which crashed towards Asuma before it too was electrocuted.

Asuma's eyes widened and he quickly jumped into the trees and through the branches, trying to stay above the lightning infused water as it followed him, knocking down several trees along the way. Soon, the water level had fallen beneath the braches and in moments there were only puddles on the ground, but Fu had vanished.

"Whoa… you two didn't waste any time over the past two years, did you?" Choji asked as he stared at the destruction caused by the attack and Naruto just chuckled in response.

"Great… she's this good at water jutsu and now the ground's covered… as Shikamaru would say, troublesome." Asuma smirked at his own predicament. A moment later, a wave of fire rushed at him and he was forced to jump out of the tree. The moment he landed, three water clones of Fu emerged from nearby puddles and attacked with taijutsu. The clones, only being at 1/10 of the real Fu's power only lasted for a short time, though they did show impressive taijutsu skill before being destroyed.

As the final clones dispersed, a swarm of insects suddenly burst from the ground, Asuma cried out in shock before he was suddenly replaced with a log. The swarm abandoned the hunk of wood and shot across the field towards Asuma's hiding place. Turning to the swarm, he tossed his trench knives off his hands into the air and made four hand signs, catching the blades when he was done before breathing out a cloud of gun-powder which the insects flew into. Asuma created a spark using a piece of flint in his mouth and the swarm was killed in the explosion.

"She can use insects like the Aburame?" Ino asked, slightly creeped out.

"Yeah, it's the ability she gets for being the Jinchuriki of the Seven Tailed Rhinoceros Beetle." Naruto said.

"Hn… interesting… so that's how she finds him so easily." Shikamaru noted.

"Huh, what do you mean?" Choji asked.

"She must have tagged him with some insects while she was fighting him at close range… that's probably how she always knows where he is." Shikamaru explained.

As the cloud cleared, Asuma saw Fu rushing towards him with her sword, he threw one of his trench knives at her but she ducked underneath it as she summoned three shuriken and threw them as she continued to move towards Asuma.

Asuma dodged the shuriken and Fu as she attempted to run him through, after a brief exchange, he managed to get the upper hand and slashed Fu across the stomach, only for her to turn into lightning, electrocuting Asuma. At this moment, the real Fu, hidden in the forest, finished a jutsu "Earth Style: Spears of Stone!" three spears of rock shot out of the ground and were quickly grabbed by two clones of the green-haired kunoichi, who jumped high into the air and threw them all at once at Asuma, surrounding him in a triangle formation while the real Fu finished weaving another set of hand signs.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Bind!" Fu called out and the javelins were connected by walls of electricity, trapping Asuma inside.

"Huh… been a long time since I've seen this technique." Asuma noted inside the barrier.

"You knew someone else who knew this jutsu?" Fu asked, slightly surprised as she walked towards the barrier.

"Yeah… a buddy of mine from the Ninja Guardians… Kitane." Asuma said smirking before he made a hand sign.

Fu was surprised; she knew the jutsu couldn't be broken from the inside when she sensed something from behind her. She dodged slightly to the side and her eyes widened as she saw Asuma's thrown trench knife speeding towards her barrier, propelled and charged by Asuma's wind chakra. She could only watch as the knife collided with the barrier, causing it to crackle with lightning for a few moments before breaking.

Once the barrier fell, Asuma charged at the Jinchuriki who summoned a pair of water swords blocked his attack, the two once more exchanged blows before Asuma managed to disarm her of one of her water swords and seemed to catch her.

"Heh… guess that's it." Asuma smirked, only for his smirk to fall as Fu smirked and a moment later exploded. She had created an exploding shadow clone just in case that didn't work and substituted with it the moment her barrier fell. Asuma was sent flying into a tree by the explosion. The real Fu suddenly appeared, rising from the ground as if it were water and, focusing her chakra to her hand, called her sword back to her and placed it on Asuma's neck as insects surrounded the pair.

"You were saying?" the green haired kunoichi asked and Asuma chuckled.

"Alright, you got me." Asuma said, in good humor despite his loss and Fu dismissed her sword and helped him up. "Huh… you two are pretty good."

"Thanks… and you live up to your reputation." she said as they walked back to the group.

"Way to go Fu!" Naruto said with his fox like smile.

"I can't believe you two actually managed to beat both of our sensei." Shikamaru said, shaking his head with a grin.

"Well… the new generation always surpasses the previous one. It's only a matter of time." Kakashi said.

"Heh, speak for yourself." Jiraiya said as he, Tsunade and Shizune joined them.

"Hey, Pervy Sage, did you guys see the whole thing?" Naruto asked, Jiraiya sighed at being called that again.

"Of course we watched brat. Good job, you two. I told you good teachers beget good students."

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead and pat yourself on the back." Fu said, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, thanks for teaching us, Jiraiya-sensei."

"Oh, finally showing me the respect I deserve?"

"Don't get used to it." Fu smirked.

"Ok, I've gotta admit, you two did pretty well." Tsunade said. "You not only won, you showed good planning and always kept a few aces ready in case things got bad. I think you're ready for the rank of special jonin, thanks to Jiraiya's recommendations, until you have enough experience leading missions to make jonin." Provided the promotion was endorsed by a powerful and respected shinobi of the village, like Jiraiya, or the Hokage, there were documented examples of why the promotion was deserved and the ninja in question proved themselves, a ninja could be promoted up to special jonin without going through exams.

Those present congratulated the two as Sakura remained quiet. Knowing now that, not only was Naruto stronger than her, but the new girl was too made her feel useless. She knew that when it came to fighting, she wouldn't be able to help when it came time to face Sasuke or the Akatsuki.

Back when they were first made a team, she had believed that Naruto was useless and that she and Sasuke would have to carry the team. Soon she had a wake-up call and realized she was the inadequate one. Naruto and Sasuke were growing stronger every day, and she was just a burden, a worthless fan girl. It took Sasuke leaving for her to change. Now, after two and a half years of training, she still wasn't as strong as her teachers, and Naruto was stronger than Kakashi and still growing stronger. She was almost sure Sasuke would have similar power. Even after all this time, all her hard work, she was still being left behind.

"What's the matter Sakura?" Naruto asked, noticing the pink haired girl seemed down.

"Oh, nothing… come on, let's celebrate, how about your favorite, Ichiraku ramen?" Sakura asked, trying to change the subject. Fu walked over to Naruto.

"Yeah, I've wanted to try that place for some time after all the praise you give it." she said before whispering. "We'll talk to her about it later." Naruto nodded.

"Alright, come on, let's head to Ichiraku's, my treat!" Naruto said, excited to finally have a taste of what was in his opinion the best food in the elemental natuons.

"Hold on, Naruto, we still need to find a place for Fu to stay."

"She can stay with me… besides; I was planning to find a bigger place tomorrow." Naruto said.

"Huh? How are you going to afford that?" Tsunade asked.

'_Oh boy, here we go…_' Jiraiya thought to himself as he took one from his student's handbook and replaced himself with a clone he set up. He feared, rightfully, that after Tsunade was pried off of Naruto she would probably vent on him.

Moments later, Naruto had explained how much money he had… and how he had gotten it. While the bounty hunting wasn't too surprising, everyone present was shocked by his luck at gambling, but Tsunade's face quickly took on a furious expression.

A loud "WHAT!" could be heard halfway across the village.

* * *

><p>After Tsunade had been pried off of Naruto, who she had tried to throttle upon hearing about his luck, he, Fu, Sakura and team 10 were all sitting at Ichiraku's. Kakashi had paperwork to do. Along the way they ran into Iruka who joined them. Iruka sat on the end on one side of Naruto, Fu was on the other side, then Sakura, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, and Asuma. Naruto was on his sixth bowl, as was Choji. Fu was on her third and everyone else was on their first.<p>

Naruto put down his now empty bowl. "Ah, now the hit's the spot. See, what'd I tell you Fu?"

"You were right, this is delicious, we'll have to come here more often." Fu said, Teuchi heard this and began thinking of how much money he would make off the two of them. While she only seemed to eat half as much as Naruto, that was still several times the amount of most others.

"I can't believe you actually managed to beat Kakashi, you've really grown a lot under Jiraiya's tutelage." Iruka said.

"Yeah, I'm stronger than you now, Iruka-sensei." Naruto said and Iruka laughed.

"I hate to admit but, your right, I couldn't take on Kakashi even without his Sharingan… congratulations on your promotion, by the way." the academy teacher said.

"Thanks, so, who else was promoted?" Naruto asked

"You kidding? Everyone else is a chunin now." Shikamaru said. "That's nothing though, Neji made jonin. Remember Gaara? Well his siblings made jonin too. Actually, Temari's here in Konoha right now."

"Really? I'll have to congratulate her, even if it's a little late. So, what about Gaara?" Naruto asked and everyone became quiet, not sure how he'd take it. "What?"

"Gaara's… the new Kazekage." Iruka said, shocking Naruto and Fu. Naruto smiled even though his eyes looked a little sad.

"Gaara was named Kazekage, huh?" Naruto said, Fu looked at him, a little worried about how Naruto would react. "That's great. He sure had changed a lot, the last time I saw him. I'm sure he makes a great Kazekage. But I'm not gonna be outdone by him. I'll be Hokage someday." Naruto really was happy for Gaara, considering how he was when he first met him. He was also jealous though, Gaara was basically living his dream.

"So… how long have you two been together?" Ino asked, curious about it and trying to change the subject and wanting to get some good gossip.

"About six months." Fu answered before she, after more of Ino's prodding, told them how they met, got together, and their first date.

"Wow, Naruto, didn't think you had it in you." Iruka said, chuckling. The boys shared similar thoughts while Ino was jealous but also happy to get her hands on some gossip and Sakura remained quiet.

"Heh, well, what can I say. So, how has everyone been?" afterward, they began to talk about everything they had been through. Fu shocked them with the story of how she got the chameleon contract. Other than that, it was largely just talking about how everyone improved. When the sun was beginning to set, Naruto and Fu stood up.

"Sorry guys, we have to talk to Grandma Tsunade about something. Hey, old man, thanks or the meal, what's the charge?"

"No problem, Naruto, great to have you back." he said, handing Naruto his bill, Naruto looked shocked for a moment, suddenly getting why no one liked paying for him, and he promptly paid with a check. "Be sure to bring that girl of yours back, ok?"

"Sure, see you later, old man."

"Nice meeting you all. Oh, hey Sakura, can we talk later?" Fu said.

"Huh? Oh, sure thing. Bye." Sakura replied before Naruto and Fu vanished, Naruto in a poof of smoke and Fu in a spark of lightning.

The two entered Tsunade's office to find Jiraiya, Shizune and Kakashi with the woman, who was sitting at her desk Sizune stood by the desk. Jiraiya leaned against a nearby wall and Kakashi was standing to the right side of the room, reading his new book.

"Hey, Grandma Tsunade, nice to see you working instead of gambling your money away." Naruto said as he entered, earning a glare. He then remembered he shouldn't talk about gambling in front of her now that she knew he had made what was now over 100 million ryo gambling.

"Yeah, yeah. So, Jiraiya said you two have something important to tell me, and it has something to do with your tenants."

"Speaking of which, you didn't use their powers when we sparred. How good's your control?" Kakashi asked. Naruto and Fu both looked down, thinking about what that power did to them.

"We can summon at will and control up to four tails." Fu stated. "At that point, we can enter a second version of our chakra cloaks where the chakra forms a solid shell around us and we basically become miniature versions of our Biju." Fu said.

"But going that far takes a lot out of us, not to mention it burns our skin off… going to that state is a last resort. We can't use five tails at will, but if we do go that far, we start to lose control… and at six tails we would completely lose it." Naruto added.

"Four tails… that's pretty impressive." Kakashi said.

"Well… it helps that they're actually helping us." Naruto said. Kakashi, Tsunade and Shizune were shocked to hear that.

"They're helping you? You mean you've worked out some kind of deal with them?" Kakashi asked, his visible eye widened slightly.

Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "I'm surprised. I didn't think they'd be willing to help you unless your lives, and their's by extension, were at stake." She said, remembering what she'd heard from her grandmother, Konoha's first Kyuubi Jinchuriki: Mito Uzumaki, about her dealings with the fox. The demon had always been hostile towards her, fighting her for control at every opportunity. Though she did gain significant control, the Kyuubi had never been willing to lend her aid, not without trying to influence her. Mito had actually pitied the Kyuubi for being so consumed with hatred and rage, though according to her, the beast didn't believe that was sincere and it seemed to anger him even more. "You think they're trustworthy?"

Jiraiya nodded, crossing his arms as he began to explain. "I was a little worried they were trying to deceive us at first, but I think they can be trusted, for now at least. They have a good reason to help us and a lot to lose if they betrayed us."

Tsunade quirked a brow. "What do you mean? What exactly is the agreement?"

"… the reason their helping is because of who's responsible for the Kyuubi's attack, fifteen years ago." Jiraiya said, surprising everyone again. "It's someone they can't fight on their own… and he's probably the Akatsuki leader."

"Wait… someone caused the Kyuubi attack?" Kakashi asked, shocked upon finding out someone was responsible for that tragedy and the death of two people who had become parental figures to him, Naruto's own parents.

"Kakashi… you didn't know this… but Naruto's mother, Kushina was the previous Kyuubi Jinchuriki." Jiraiya said, shocking Kakashi and Shizune, who also didn't know.

"Jiraiya… does Naruto…" Tsunade began.

"Yes, he knows who his parents were." Jiraiya answered.

"I see… Naruto…" Tsunade began sadly.

"It's alright, Grandma Tsunade, I understand why you didn't tell me." Naruto answered with a smile. "I was upset at first, but I got over it."

"So… you're saying someone attacked Minato-sensei when Naruto was born and broke Kushina's seal?" Kakashi asked, seething at the thought someone purposely caused that tragedy and killed two people he saw as family in the process.

"Yes… Naruto's birth weakened the seal and someone used him as a hostage to get Minato away from Kushina… by the time Naruto was safe and he returned, the seal was already broken and the Kyuubi was under his control." Jiraiya explained.

"Wait, control?" Tsunade asked, she knew someone must have broken the seal, but that they had controlled the Kyuubi…

"That's right, Tsunade… you know there's only one person who would have been capable of all that…"

"Jiraiya… you can't seriously mean…" Tsunade said, eyes wide.

"That's right… the one responsible was Madara… Madara Uchiha… and he's most likely the mastermind behind the Akatsuki." Jiraiya said, shocking everyone except Naruto and Fu. "I had always believed he was the only one who could have pulled it off… the Kyuubi just confirmed my suspicions."

"No way..." Shizune said.

"I can't believe it… he's actually still alive…" Kakashi said.

"Yeah… even if he's not affiliated with the Akatsuki, he's out there… after digging around a bit, I managed to confirm he was alive, though not much else." Jiraiya said.

"This… this is a disaster…" Tsunade said, as she rubbed her temple, nursing the beginnings of a head ache.

"Tell me about it… Jiraiya said grimly. "Anyway, that's why the Biju are helping, they know they can't defend themselves against Madara's Sharingan."

Tsunade thought about just how dangerous things were if Madara was alive, Kakashi thought about Minato and Kushina and about what Madara could possibly be planning.

"What do we know about him?" Fu asked.

"Unfortunately, not much." Tsunade sighed. "After his betrayal and supposed death, he was pretty much erased from our records. He was skilled in space-time jutsu, genjutsu and the fire element, obviously he was a master of the Sharingan, and was skilled with several different weapons and fighting styles… he's considered one of the most gifted and skilled ninja in history… that's pretty much all we know." everyone there silently let all this sink in.

"Well, I haven't been home in over two years and we've got to talk to Sakura so we should get going." Naruto said.

"Hang on, Naruto." Tsunade said. "Before you go, there's something for you." she said as she stood up and walked to the portraits of the previous Hokage. "Your father left this for you, we were waiting until you learned the truth about your parentage." she said as she reached for the picture of Minato to reveal a complex blood red seal.

"That's… a blood seal." Naruto said as he and Fu stared wide eyed at it. It was meant to protect family secrets. It required the fresh blood and chakra of a close relative to break the seal. Kakashi's visible eye and Shizune's eyes widened slightly, neither had known about the seal. Tsunade learned of it from a note from the Third Hokage, addressed to his successor, and told Jiraiya.

"Yes. You know what to do, I hope?" Tsunade asked and Naruto nodded, slightly dumbfounded, as he walked to the seal and after a moment of staring at it, he bit his thumb and placed his hand on the seal before focusing his chakra on it. In a poof of smoke, four scrolls, one red, two yellow and one white appeared. The white one had his name on it. After a moment of silence, he opened the scroll to find a message.

_Naruto._

_If you're reading this, then I'm dead. Of course, I don't know how this happened as I'm writing this, but I always prepare for everything. I can only hope your mother; Kushina is still there with you, if not, I'm sorry I failed to protect her. Know that I, and she if she's not there with you, love you very much. I was never happier than the day Kushina told me we were going to be parents. I hope that, one day, you find a woman who will make you as happy as she did me._

_In the yellow scrolls are my own jutsu. The Rasengan and the Hiraishin, as well as one of the special kunai for the jutsu and information on the space-time barrier. Jiraiya, your godfather, can help you with the Rasengan, and if you need help with the Hiraishin, then look up the Hokage's elite guards: Genma Shiranui, Raido Namiashi and Akiyo Takashi. To aid them in their duty to protect the Hokage, I shared the secrets of the technique with them, though as of now, they can only use it as a group. The Rasengan is based on the tailed Beast Ball, the ultimate attack of the Biju. As powerful as it is, the Rasengan is still incomplete. I intended to add elemental manipulation to it, but never managed it. I believe that you can succeed where I failed. After all, parents always believe in their kids, don't they? In the red scroll is everything your mother taught me about the Uzumaki sealing jutsu. As you may know, your mother's clan were the leaders of the now destroyed Uzushiogakure and were distant relatives of the Senju clan of Konoha. They were famous for their longevity and their sealing jutsu, which were without rival. It was fear of their sealing prowess that led to their destruction during the wars._

_This is the way the world is. People wage war and destroy that which they don't understand, or that which they believe will threaten their loved ones. That leads to pain, which leads to hatred and a never ending cycle of revenge. I, as well as Jiraiya-sensei, believe that one day, this cycle will be broken and there will be true peace. I never found the answer, but I think you can. Finding this answer will be difficult, but Naruto… never forget your parents love you and believe in you._

_Your Father_

_Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure._

Luckily for Jiraiya, he had told him he was his godfather. This led to a brief falling out between the two but Naruto eventually forgave him… after he taught him a few tricks he wasn't planning to as compensation. He knew he was lucky the boy was so forgiving. Still, suffice to say he may not have been as forgiving if this was the first he had heard of this.

Naruto read the scroll over twice with an unreadable expression, not knowing whether to feel joy or sorrow after doing so.

"Naruto… are you ok?" Fu asked concerned.

"I'll be fine, Fu." Naruto said. "Let's get going, we have to meet Sakura later, right? I need to show you around a bit and show you my apartment."

"Yeah, let's go." Fu said and the two of them walked towards the door. The adults watched them leave in silence before thinking on everything they ha learned and began to discuss what they knew and what to do about Madara and the Akatsuki.

Half an hour later, the sun was just about set as Naruto and Fu reached the blond's apartment. They walked through the building to his door and Naruto unlocked and opened the door. He looked around for a moment and sighed. Everything was covered in dust, and he knew a lot of the food was long since spoiled.

"This is going to take a while…" Naruto sighed.

Fu took a few steps forward, sweeping her gaze across the small apartment. It only featured three rooms, the main room, which contained the kitchen, a small table with four chairs and a couch across from a small TV, the bathroom a bedroom. "Well, at least we have shadow clones to help. Besides, we'll only be living here a few days tops, right?" Fu asked.

"Yeah. Sakura should be waiting for us, let's leave some shadow clones behind to take care of this while we go." Naruto replied. As they both made cross shaped hand signs. Both created five clones that proceeded to begin cleaning the small apartment.

"I think she's probably worried she's still behind you. You told me that she used to be a fan girl. You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go."

* * *

><p>In an unknown area of Konoha served as ROOT's headquarters, Danzo stood in the center of the room. Before him, kneeling on his knee, was one of his operatives.<p>

"Report, what is the status of the Jinchuriki?"

"They both fought well, Lord Danzo, The Kyuubi host was able to defeat Kakashi Hatake and the Nanabi host defeated Asuma Sarutobi." the ROOT operative then gave a detailed account of the battle and their interactions.

"I see… continue to observe the two Jinchuriki." Danzo said.

"Yes, Lord Danzo." the agent vanished as Danzo thought on the two weapons. Though, as he believed ninja should be prepared to sacrifice anything and these two, and most of Konoha, was weak under the ways of the Senju, he did admit there were some impressive ninja in the recent generations. It would seem at the least these two would be effective weapons for the village. He still wanted to keep a close eye on them, especially the Nanabi Jinchuriki, and already had plans to place one of his own operatives on their team.

* * *

><p>Night had fallen as the two walked the town. They walked to the park and found Sakura standing with her back against a tree.<p>

"Hey Sakura." Naruto said.

"Naruto, Fu, good to see you."

"So, Sakura, what's wrong?" Naruto asked.

"Is that what you wanted to talk about? I told you it was nothing." Sakura answered.

"Sakura, I just met you today and I can already tell something's wrong." Fu said.

"Sakura, you're my friend and I just want to help, tell me what's going on." Naruto added.

"… Fine… it's just, when we were a team, you, me, and Sasuke, I was useless, just a burden. Remember, I promised, when you came back, that I'd be stronger and that we would bring Sasuke back together. But I know I couldn't take on Kakashi-sensei and win and you… you and Fu are so much stronger than me… Sasuke probably is too. Even after all this time… I'm still behind you, still useless."

"That's not true, you've been training under Grandma Tsunade, I'm sure you've learned a lot while I was gone." Naruto said.

"And we'll help you anyway we can. I am a member of Team 7 and if you're a friend of Naruto's, I'd like to be friends too." Fu said with a smile.

"Fu…" Sakura said.

"Fu's right, you're not alone Sakura, never think you have to deal with these kind of stuff on your own."

"… Thanks, you two." Sakura said.

"So, what did Tsunade teach you?" Fu asked and Sakura gave them a rundown of her new skills.

"Wow, she taught you her super strength huh?" Naruto asked, slightly nervous. '_Good thing I learned from Fu not to use or talk about perverted jutsu around girls…_'

"Yeah, she also taught me to read my opponents movements."

"By fighting you and beating you into the ground, right?" Fu asked with a smirk.

"Jiraiya too, huh?" Sakura smirked back.

"How about genjutsu? If your chakra controls that good, it should be easy for you and you could use the illusions to distract your opponents and leave them open. With that strength, you only need one good hit on most enemies, but it probably takes a lot of chakra, if you mastered genjutsu, you wouldn't have to waste so much chakra missing fast opponents." Naruto noted.

"Jiraiya had us read tons of books on herbs, antidotes and poisons. If Lady Tsunade taught you to make antidotes, you must know how to make powerful and hard to detect poisons too. Why not add those to your attacks?" Fu asked.

"That sounds good… you really have matured haven't you Naruto… you're a lot smarter than you used to be." Sakura said and Naruto rubbed the back of his head in an embarrassed manner.

"Only because Jiraiya forced him to every step of the way." Fu teased with a smirk.

"I'll bet, he'd never have grown like this by choice." Sakura added with a smirk of her own.

"Aw, come on, Fu, Sakura, don't say things like that." Naruto sulked as the two girls chuckled at him.

"Anyway, I didn't have time to learn genjutsu. I had to focus on what Lady Tsunade was teaching me."

"Well, we can help you with that and Kakashi-sensei probably can too." Naruto said.

"Yeah… and Shizune knows a lot about poisons and poison techniques." Sakura said, remembering hearing about her poison fog technique.

"Sounds good, but it's getting late, we should head home." Fu said. They then said their goodbyes before they began to head home.

* * *

><p>The pair of Jinchuriki returned to Naruto's apartment after they had finished talking to Sakura. The clones had cleaned up the apartment and restocked the fridge with enough food to last a few days.<p>

"I'm gonna take a shower, ok?" Fu said.

"Yeah, I'll make something to eat, should be ready when you're out." Naruto replied.

"Thanks, hope it's not ramen."

"I know, I know, 'don't eat it all the time.'" Naruto rolled his eyes with a smirk. He had learned from the many books Jiraiya forced his clones to read and re-read that Fu was right about that.

"Good." Fu replied.

Half an hour later, Fu came out of the shower and Naruto had finished cooking, he wasn't a master chef or anything but they had both learned to cook decent meals. Fu came out to find he had made Nikujaga with a bowl of white rice and miso soup.

Fu smiled as she approached the table, the aroma of their dinner reaching her as she placed her hand on the chair. "Mmmm… looks good." She said as they both sat down.

"Thanks, let's dig in."

"Itadakimasu." both said before they began to eat.

"So, what do you think of Konoha, Fu?"

"Great, you were right, guess I didn't have much to worry about after all. I was afraid I wouldn't get along with Sakura."

"See, just like I told you."

"Yeah… and as always, it was fun teasing Jiraiya in front of everyone." Fu said and both laughed. "So, tomorrow is our first mission, what do you think it'll be?" Fu asked.

"I don't know… but, I'm sure it'll be something boring. I hope our first mission is something big and exciting." Naruto said.

"Naruto, they say you should be careful what you wish for." Fu replied. "At least we won't be stuck on D-ranks anymore. Besides, based on what you've told me, you have terrible luck with missions, we'll probably get stuck fighting someone disproportionately strong, like when you ran into Zabuza, or when you came to Taki." Fu stated.

"Yeah, you're right." Naruto said. "You know… someday, we'll be the sensei's teaching the next generation?"

"Yeah… hard to imagine, isn't it?" Fu said, looking down at her almost empty plate with a smile. "But you've already been teaching that Konohamaru kid right? The one you said was like a little brother? What are you planning to teach him anyway?"

"The Rasengan." Naruto answered simply.

"What, Seriously? At his level he'd have to use shadow clones to get it."

"I know, but we're a lot alike, we both dream of being Hokage and acknowledgement. Besides, I got it in a few weeks." Naruto said boastfully.

"Yeah, and I got it in few days." Fu said with a smirk.

"Aw come on, Fu. That was after Pervy Sage's chakra control training, my control was awful back then. I couldn't even use a basic clone and besides, you used the Shadow Clone Jutsu to learn it faster." Naruto complained and Fu giggled at her boyfriend.

An hour later, the pair had finished their meals. Since Naruto had cooked, Fu was the one that had to do the dishes so the blond took the opportunity to take a shower. When he got out he found his girlfriend sitting on the coach and reading a book.

"Wow, you finished the dishes fast!" the blond was surprised. "Did you use clones?" he asked as he sat next to her and pulled her to his chest.

"Nah, there weren't that many. It's not so bad to do the chores by ourselves from time to time. Otherwise one day they might revolt." Fu joked, without lifting her head from her book. "Besides, you took awhile in the bath. I was starting to think someone kidnapped you, a little more and I would have come to search for you."

"Yeah right, you were just looking for an excuse to see me naked. And you say I'm the perverted one." Naruto chuckled as he was elbowed. "Ouch... All right, all right, maybe I did take my time. I can't help it, after a long tiring day the feel of the warm water is just too good." The blond smirked, "Heh, maybe next time you should come with me so I can show you. And you wouldn't get worried either." He joked suggestively as he lightly nuzzled her neck.

"Mm... pervert."

"So what are you reading?"

Fu showed him the cover briefly, before she went back to reading.

"History of Konoha? Booooring. I would always fall asleep during those classes in the Academy."

"That's actually a surprising thing to hear." Fu looked at him for a moment.

"How come?"

"Well, Konoha's history is filled of battles of valiant and strong shinobi. I would imagine you of all people would love to hear stories of cool jutsu, epic struggles and heroic ninja." Fu waved her hands with and exaggerated tone in her voice.

"Ha-ha... Well, when you put it that way, it does sound interesting actually. Maybe the teachers at the academy should take some advice from you. Especially Iruka-sensei, his boring monotone would be able to put even the Kyuubi to sleep."

The couple laughed as Fu put down the book and snuggled into Naruto's chest, embracing his waist with her arms. The blond moved his hand and gently started stroking her hair. The two sat in a comfortable silence like that. Or at least, that's how it looked on the surface.

Fu's mind was anything but calm. In the past couple of months since their relationship had started, her feelings for her boyfriend had not only grown, but also intensified. Despite her awful life in Taki, things had turned for the better ever since she met the blond. She wondered what her life would have been like otherwise? Maybe a future similar to Gaara's, where her loneliness would only turn into a world of hate. The feeling of complete solitude was maddening. But then came Naruto with his goofy smile and perverted sensei and they gave her a chance. A chance in gaining friendship, acceptance, relationships. And for the past few months, a chance in love. Now if she could only voice this.

Naruto wasn't far off from similar thoughts. At this moment, Haku's words rang strongly in his mind. Of course, he had understood what the boy had meant in the past and had even experienced such strength when he was fighting against Gaara. But the strength of his feelings back then could not even compare to the ones he had right now, for the girl he was holding in his arms. So this was love. Now he realized why Haku gave his life away like that. Of course, Naruto had put himself on the line many times for the people he cared for in the past, but would he have been able to discard his life so easily? He fought and struggled in the past because he believed there was a chance for victory, but when he was thoroughly defeated, would he have jumped so readily in front of a killing blow for the one he loved? Now he knew.

"You know..." they both started. "Oh, sorry... No, you can..." They looked at each other and laughed.

"Ladies first." Naruto winked.

Fu let out a sigh and tried to calm down her racing heart, to no avail. She cuddled in his chest again, hoping that listening to his heartbeat would calm her as usual. Surprisingly, she found out his was pacing fast as well. Taking in a deep breath, she began.

"Sometimes, I think I'm dreaming." Fu didn't look up to see his surprised expression "From time to time I keep remembering my time in Taki and my current life seems so much like a dream. I have a new village that accepts me, people I can call friends, a sensei that has taught me so much and a wonderful boyfriend, whom I have the opportunity to live with. Three years ago I would fantasize for such things and if I was told that I would get them, I would laugh in your face."

"The truth is I had lost hope. I had started to think and believe that I was a demon destined to die alone. That someone like me didn't deserve acceptance or companionship. Every night I would cry and question the Gods what did I do to deserve such a life. I asked and begged that I would find happiness, but deep down I had relented." Fu felt Naruto squeeze her tightly which actually made the tears from the horrible memories go away. She couldn't help but smile. "And then I met you and got to spend the happiest two years of my life. Now, I find myself begging and hoping these moments never stop. Even though I've had a hard life, do I deserve so much happiness? I can't help but think sometimes that there will be a price for all this joy, that I will have to pay something for you. I am afraid that all this will disappear."

Fu stood up a bit and faced Naruto, placing a hand on his cheek. "I will pay it though. Whatever the price is, whatever the hardships, I will do it. Because you will be with me and your promise and presence has given me strength for the past months. I will fight for my happiness, for my life with you, because... I love you, Naruto."

"Fu... I..." to say the blond was shocked would be the understatement of the century. But his surprise was mixed in with tremendous joy. After all, he had been about to say the same thing and to find out she felt the same way... As if pushed by an invisible force, Naruto leaned in and captured Fu's mouth in a fierce kiss. He pressed her body to his, aching for the closeness and licked her lips with his tongue, asking, begging for hers.

Fu let out a small moan and greeted him in her mouth, wrapping and swirling her tongue around his. She felt one of his hands entangled in her hair, while the other was slowly going down her back, sending shivers through her spine. Not wanting him to have the upper hand she pressed and ground her body against his, pushing him into the couch.

The kiss intensified and Fu felt his arm reaching her buttocks and squeezing her left cheek. Letting out another moan, she broke away as they both gasped for air. They looked into each other's eyes and both saw the intense storm of emotions and desires.

"You know" Naruto began "I can't believe how much in tune we are." Fu's gaze warped into a questioning one as the blond continued "I was just about to tell you the same thing." He cupped her cheek and stroke it gently "I love you, Fu." He pulled her down and the two engaged into another heated kiss. Naruto's arms kept massaging and going over Fu's body, with an occasional squeeze in all the right places, prompting a moan from the mint-haired girl, while her hands were gently stroking the blond's chest and abs. They could feel their bodies heating up, desiring more and more from each other, until Fu reluctantly broke the kiss.

"It's getting late, we should go to sleep. Tomorrow is our first day as jonin, we wouldn't want to be late." Disappointment was evident in her voice. Maybe she should have gone to look for the blond in the bath after all.

Said blond didn't plan on relenting without a fight though, "Oh, come on, Kakashi-sensei is probably going to be late anyway."

"Do you really want to be late on your first day? You might get demoted to genin, you know."

"I wouldn't mind that, as long as I'm placed in your squad. You would make me do whatever you want then." Naruto grinned evilly, giving Fu's ass another squeeze.

"Mmm..." the mint-haired girl leaned in. "I think I like that idea..." She kissed him briefly, before standing up. "Come on, let's go to bed."

Naruto groaned as he stood up "If Kakashi-sensei is late tomorrow, I'm going to castrate him."

Fu grinned wickedly "Oh and I'll help. We will even burn his collection in front of him while we're at it."

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><p>Kakashi turned a page of the new edition of his beloved book, "Icha Icha tactics" when he felt an eerie feeling settle in his gut. He couldn't help but feel a bit scared for his babies. Something was telling him horrible things would befall them if he was late for tomorrow's team meeting. Obito would have to forgive him, he wouldn't stay for too long in front of the memorial stone tomorrow. He was sure his old friend would understand.<p>

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><p>As the lights into the bedroom went off and the couple went to sleep, a lone figure outside the window kept scribbling furiously in a notebook. Jiraiya's eyes had turned into a pair of ryo as he muttered to himself "Brilliant! Gold! No, this is better. This is diamonds!" Of course, he would need to spice up the ending a bit. He couldn't believe they didn't do it after something like that. It doesn't matter though, those scenes he was already good at.<p>

With the tremendous success that was his most recent book, Jiraiya had almost kicked himself, when he realized he should have made the two Jinchuriki date sooner. Oh, the profits he would have made then. Still, from what he had 'accidentally' observed tonight, the perverted sage was certain the sequel would be an even greater hit.

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><p><strong>Please read this author note, there are questions I'd like you to answer.<strong>

**Well, there goes chapter 7, I hope you liked it. I based Wind Dragon's Vigilance on Nagato's Rain Tiger at Will and Karin's Mind's Eye of the Kagura. Also, if anyone thinks they won too easily, Naruto and Fu are both strong enough that one of them could take on say, Sasori one on one on even terms without their Biju powers, in other words, overall low to mid S-class. So Asuma and Kakashi, a high A-class and high A to low S-class ninja respectively, don't stand much chance against them. I don't think their overpowered, as at the moment. Kakuzu would give them serious trouble if they fought him even with their Biju's powers. If either fought Orochimaru one on one, they probably wouldn't win. They wouldn't stand much chance against Kisame thanks to his chakra draining abilities, Itachi would crush either of them and it's not even worth saying what Nagato would do to them.**

**I will have Naruto and Fu help Sakura get stronger. Partially because she is a main character and member of their team and partially because three things about her abilities kind of annoyed me in canon. Those things are 1) it is said she is a genjutsu type and yet she never uses or learns any, 2) she isn't seen training after the timeskip, and 3) if she understands poisons well enough to make an antidote to Sasori's, she should be able to make poisons of similar strength herself but only uses this skill once.**

**By the way, anyone got any suggestions for Hinata? Just in case anyone reads that and begins to hope that this will become a NaruFuHina harem, allow me to take those hopes, light them on fire and dance on the ashes! It's not going to happen. I actually prefer one on one pairings and though I am thinking writing a harem story later, this one will be purely Naruto x Fu. That being said, Hinata is one of my favorite characters and the girl I hope Naruto will end up with in canon. Seeing Naruto and Fu together will pretty much break her heart and I want her to have her own happy ending here, but I have no idea how. I can't imagine her being happy without Naruto. Just to let you know in advance, I don't like Kiba x Hinata and will never pair her with Neji, so don't suggest either. Also, keep in mind I'm asking about an ending for her. I already have her reactions to this and character development in mind.**

**What are your thoughts on Sasuke? Should he be saved from Madara in my story or not? Personally, I kinda liked him until the retrieval arc, and then it was pretty much downhill. I hated him by the time he reappeared in Shippuden and I just want him to die now, but I think he could still be saved under the circumstances I have in mind, so I'll let you decide, should I save Sasuke or let him end up like he did in canon… or kill him off early. Word of warning, I really don't like that last option so I may not do it even if that's what most of you would prefer.**

**Do you think the Biju would recognize the Gedo Mazo? Considering the Kyuubi recognized the seal Naruto used after he beat him as something of the Rikudo Sennin and the statue has a connection to the six paths I think they should or at least the Kyuubi should.**

**Oh, and about Jiraiya confirming Madara was alive, I figured if Orochimaru managed to not only learn he was alive but also the location of his base and the truth about Zetsu, Jiraiya should be able to at least confirm he's alive if he focused on looking on info about Madara.**

**Please review and give me your opinions and suggestions.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, here's the next chapter. Thanks again to everyone reviewed, favorited or alerted my story. **

**I opened a poll for this story for one of the questions I posed last chapter. Should Sasuke be saved and returned to Konoha or corrupted by Madara? Please vote.**

**I don't own Naruto**

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><p>It was another beautiful day as Naruto and Fu walked through the streets of Konoha together, holding each other's hand. They had decided to eat at the Ichiraku ramen bar again for a date. There was a gentle breeze going through the village as it basked in the warmth of the sunlight. Naruto decided to use this opportunity to show Fu around the village some more, she still didn't really know her way around her new home.<p>

Before they left, Naruto read the scrolls his father left him, the Uzumaki seals were far more complex than anything he knew, and the Hiraishin was just as difficult. Fortunately, if he focused on them and completing the Rasengan with his shadow clones, he was sure it wouldn't take too long… relatively anyway. Fu was also working on completing the Rasengan and Naruto wanted to share the Uzumaki sealing styles with her. She was also working on a technique that required mastery of lightning manipulation, the complete version of her technique for flowing lightning chakra through her own body. She had thought of this way back when Jiraiya first explained the element to her and told her that some lightning users augment themselves by channeling it though their bodies and at first, she thought she would be the first to succeed once she got this jutsu down, but later found out someone else had already invented the technique and there was still one living user. Though slightly annoyed by the revelation she wouldn't be the first to create this technique, it didn't stop her from working on it.

While the walked, they passed a clothing store, which Fu went in. Naruto was relieved when they left, he had feared she was going to take him… shopping, but luckily for him she had simply wanted to buy one thing, a grey overcoat, similar to the one worn by Anko Mitarashi. The additional pockets would be useful and the coat covered her arms and back so her opponents wouldn't see her insects preparing to attack. She had since removed her armlets and now wore her forehead protector around her neck like Hinata.

As they walked towards the ramen bar, they ran into Shikamaru and Temari.

"Hey, Naruto, Fu." Shikamaru greeted the pair.

"Hey Shikamaru." Naruto said and Fu waved with a smile.

'_Naruto… that runt?_' Temari asked herself as she saw the other blond. '_That's right… Shikamaru told me he was promoted. Hard to believe he's the same brat from three years ago… though he is the one who beat Gaara._'

"Where are you headed?" Shikamaru said.

"I'm showing Fu around town and taking her to Ichiraku's on a date. Oh, hey, you're Temari, right? I hear you made jonin, congrats, how are your brothers?"

"Huh? Oh, they're fine, Gaara's swamped with paperwork, like most kages are, but he handles it well."

"Hi, I'm Fu, pleased to meet you." Fu said.

"Hey. I don't remember seeing you before." Temari replied. The girl seemed to be about their age so she probably should have been in the exams three years ago and she had spent some time in the village. She had a very good memory and had never seen the green haired girl.

"Well, I was transferred to Konoha from Taki and only arrived yesterday." Fu said.

"Transferred? Why would they do that?"

"… I'm the Jinchuriki of the Nanabi… they found out an organization made of S-class ninja called Akatsuki is hunting the Biju and they didn't want to be attacked."

"What?" Temari almost yelled, this was the first she heard of the Akatsuki and it made her worried for her little brother.

"Pervy Sage, I mean, Jiraiya of the Sannin, sent word to Suna before we got back, so your village should be prepared if they attack." Naruto said and Temari calmed down and sighed.

"Alright… so, you're a Jinchuriki huh? If you know about Gaara, then you must know he's one too, I've seen what life's like for you guys, good luck in a new village." Temari said. "So, how's it been here?"

"It's been good so far, no one's given me any problems yet." Fu replied, she didn't know if Temari knew that Naruto held the Kyuubi and avoided mentioning it in case he didn't want her to know.

"So, are you on a date too?" Naruto asked Shikamaru.

"That's not it." Shikamaru answered and Temari scoffed.

"You're joking, why would I date such a slacker? The Chunin Exams are coming up, and I'm just going back and forth between the sand and leaf for meetings." Temari explained.

"And troublesome as it is, I've become an examiner, so I was told to see off the ambassador from the sand."

"The Chunin Exam? That sure brings back memories." Naruto said with a faraway look.

"Yeah… but most are unpleasant." Shikamaru noted, remembering the invasion.

"Tell me about it…" Naruto replied, grimacing now. He had been thinking of pleasant memories like beating Neji and receiving all that praise… until Shikamaru brought that up… now that time he was eaten by a giant snake was flashing before his eyes… then his fight against Orochimaru… then his fight with Gaara… then finding out about the Third's death. "Anyway, we have to meet up with Kakashi-sensei later, so we're kinda in a hurry." Fu nodded.

"Alright, see you guys later. Drop by sometime, I want to see if you're any good at shogi." Shikamaru said as the groups waved to each other.

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><p>Meanwhile, in Suna, standing on a balcony in the Kazekage Office Building, overlooking the entire village stood Gaara of the Desert. After a few moments, a sand ninja approached from behind and kneeled on one knee.<p>

"Lord Kazekage, the meeting is soon." the man said.

"Ok." Gaara replied, looking at the man out of the corner of his eyes.

Minutes later, he sat a round table with the village's council.

"In the past few years, our village's power has stabilized, and has maintained good relations with all our allies." One of the council members said.

"There's a Chunin Exam soon… I'm looking forward to seeing it's results." Another said.

"Well, this is close to the Chunin Exam, but there's been a bad rumor…" a council member, Yura said.

"What is it?" Baki asked.

"This information is from Jiraiya of the Sannin… have you heard of an organization called the Akatsuki?" Yura began. Everyone looked seriously and listened intently to what Yura had to say. "They're an organization made up of S-class missing nin. Confirmed members include Kisame Hoshigaki of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and Itachi Uchiha. Orochimaru of the Sannin, the one responsible for the death of our previous Kazekage, was also once a member."

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><p>Back in Konoha, Kakashi and Jiraiya sat at a restaurant. Jiraiya had called Kakashi there to tell him about the information he gave to Suna.<p>

"The sand has been warned and they are preparing. ANBU have been deployed to key points on the outskirts. Even so, I wonder if they could keep someone like me from forcibly entering the country." the super pervert said.

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><p>At the Suna council meeting, everyone thought on what Yura said until another decided to speak up.<p>

"Yes, I'd heard something of this myself." Baki said. "So, they're finally making their move."

"We have this information from Master Jiraiya himself. He believes their targets are the Jinchuriki." Everyone murmured, discussing their thoughts on their motives and what they could do if they got their hands on them. "I took the liberty of having the village secured and ANBU stationed at key points around the perimeter." Everyone nodded in agreement. Some voiced their opinions, praising him for taking the initiative and making a wise decision.

"Very well then, this meeting is adjourned." Baki said.

As the council members left the meeting, Yura and another council member talked as they walked in the same direction.

"Well done Yura. Have them tighten the security of the village."

"I'm glad I could advise the superiors I was working for the past four years and, since the source of the information was Master Jiraiya, I had to make a decision to move quickly." Yura said, his speech slowing as if in pain before he came to a stop and grabbed his head. Though they couldn't see it, a seal in his mind had just been released. The man he had been talking with looked to him with concern.

"What's wrong?"

"It-it's nothing… just a lack of sleep." Yura said.

"You shouldn't push yourself so hard."

Yura, meanwhile, had just remembered his true allegiance. '_I see… so that's what it was…_'

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><p>Just barely within the visual range of the village, two figures walked through the desert sand. One was hunched over close to the ground while the other stood up straight. Both wore black cloaks emblazoned with red clouds and straw hats.<p>

"So, the ones Orochimaru manipulated are up ahead… yeah. It seems for some reason he leaked our information and turned into a traitor… yeah." the one standing up, Deidara said.

"We don't have a choice, it seems. I don't know what he's like after using that jutsu either." the hunched figure, Sasori of the Red Sand said. "Are you sure what you have in that bag is enough? The enemy possesses a Jinchuriki."

"It's fine, my jutsu are all artistic, just in case, I brought my masterpiece, Number 18... yeah." he said, unzipping a pouch at his side that contained what seemed to be clay. "We can't take any chances when our opponent is the one tail." Deidara said before chuckling as he placed his hand in the bag, a mouth on his palm opening and eating some of the clay.

"You call those explosions art? Art is something wonderful that lasts forever… a thing of eternal beauty."

"Sasori, my man, though I respect you and our crafts involve the same skilled labor, I have to tell you you're wrong. Art is the beauty of a single fleeting moment."

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><p>At the entrance to the village, a narrow passageway in between the walls that protected the village, dozens of shinobi watched for signs of intruders when they spotted the two far off figures.<p>

"What's that?" a masked guard asked. '_Red clouds on black cloaks… that's…!_' He noticed a presence behind him and turned to see Yura, now in his shinobi gear. "Captain Yura!"

"Relax, It'll be over soon." He said reassuringly.

As the two Akatsuki members finally reached the wall, they were greeted by the sight of Yura standing before the passageway, blood on his face and armor. Behind him were the fresh corpses of all the guards, the sand and walls drenched in blood.

"Well done… so you remember me?" Sasori asked Yura, who kneeled before him.

"Yes sir! Of course Lord Sasori."

"Alright, if you'd forgotten, I might have had to use my jutsu… yeah." Deidara said. "Though I guess it wouldn't be much of a jutsu if he didn't."

"They're still loyal servants after regaining their memory." with that, the trio, walked into the village, stopping just at the end of the passageway. The palm on Deidara's hand chewed the sand it had eaten and molded it into the form of a bird.

"Sasori, my man, you can watch from here… yeah." Deidara said before he tossed the small clay figure and made a hand sign. The bird disappeared in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, the bird was several times larger Deidara himself. "We'll attack from above." With that, the blond jumped onto the bird's back. "How is it? What do you think of my artistic modeling?"

"Just don't keep me waiting." Sasori said, ignoring the question. Deidara should know by now what he thought of his 'art of a single moment'.

Deidara smirked as he looked to the sky. '_The One Tailed Shukaku's Jinchuriki, Gaara of the Desert… yeah. I wonder what kind of person he is._' Deidara thought, confident in his artistry, before the bird took off. Flying over the village, he reached for his left eye and moved his hair out of the way, revealing a scope. Using the scope to analyze Suna's defenses, he found three guards watching the skies along the Kazekage's Office.

"There are three sky guards…yeah." Deidara said, observing them and taking in the sight of the village. "This village's artistic design isn't too bad. That makes it worth destroying…yeah. " he said as reached into the bag he carried and pulled out three small clay spiders. The spiders jumped out of his hand and he made a seal. In three bursts of smoke, the spiders grew several times their size. Now too large to fit in one's hand, and continued their descent. The spiders landed silently on the building.

Sitting in his office, Gaara looked out the window, pondering the Akatsuki threat, when his head jerked to the sky. He had noticed a strange white bird unlike anything in the desert circling overhead. He immediately knew something was wrong.

Unbeknownst to the guards, the lethal pieces of art moved silently towards them, two of them crawled up the backs of the nearest guard, while the third instead climbed up his arm.

"Wha… what the hell is this thing?" The guard yelled, alarmed at the large spider-like construct which quickly latched onto his face.

"'Thing'? These guys have no appreciation for art. I guess stupid people can't comprehend." Deidara said as he watched with a grin. "I'll have to teach you physically." he made a hand sign. "That true art… is a blast!"

The spiders, which had crawled onto the heads of the guards, detonated, killing the three instantly and reducing their heads to bloody gore. With the guards out of the way, Deidara's bird dived down to the building and the mad artist leaped down onto the building.

"Infiltration successful." Deidara said with a smirk before looking up. "Huh?" Standing before him, his Kage robes replaced with his usual attire and his gourd of sand strapped to his back, was his target, Gaara of the Desert. Deidara's smirk returned when he realized he found his target so quickly, but before the blond can speak, his senses warn him of danger and he saw several tendrils of sand rapidly moving towards him out of the corner of his eye.

Deidara jumped back onto his bird and with a wave of his hand, Gaara directs the sand, now in one large mass to chase the man. The mad artist flew through the village with the mass of sand hot on his trail. Flying through the streets at such speeds the civilians had to brace themselves from the resulting gusts of wind before he flew high into the air. Gaara gathered his sand before him and jumped onto it. It formed a platform that levitated into the air as he met the artist in the skies above Suna.

'_Ho… the Jinchuriki's power is useful, isn't it_' Deidara thought as Gaara rose into the air, "How'd you know about me… yeah?"

"There are no birds like that in this desert." Gaara stated with an emotionless look.

"Heh… seems like my sneaking in was a failure… yeah. But thanks to that, I don't need to search for you… yeah." Deidara said with a smirk. Gaara didn't respond as he raised both his hands calling an enormous wave of sand into the air from the surrounding desert. '_As expected, he has the geographical advantage in the desert… it's risky…yeah._'

The sand shaped itself into giant duplicates of the Shukaku's arms and claws, which chased Deidara across the skies. Deidara released several of his explosive clay birds in an attempt to destroy the pursuing limbs, the resulting blasts causing no damage to the arms.

'_He used an unusual explosive… like a homing type…_' Gaara thought as he watched Deidara evade his attacks. Deidara reached into the pouches on his hips and created a pair of clay birds. Unlike the previous sculptures, these had four wings. The mad artist threw the birds, who grew in size once they left his hand, and they flew at Gaara at far greater speeds then any of the bombers previous works of art. They quickly closed the distance between the two and Deidara made a hand sign once they were in range of the Kazekage. Gaara vanished in the explosion and Deidara smirked. His smirk didn't falter when the cloud cleared and revealed that Gaara had encased himself in a shield of sand with a single eye of sand floating above it.

"So… that's the sand's ultimate defense?" Deidara observed. '_To guard against that explosion is impressive…yeah._' Suddenly, a shadow falls over Deidara who looks behind him to see the sand forming Gaara's Desert Prison around him. '_This is bad…yeah!_' Deidara thought as his bird flew to the rapidly closing opening of the prison. He was forced to jump off and detonate the bird to save himself from certain death, but just as he escaped, the specially prepared sand from Gaara's gourd latched onto and covered his left arm.

'_Desert Coffin._' closing his hand into a fist, Gaara causes the sand around Deidara's arm to implode, crushing Deidara's arm. Deidara looked to Gaara and saw the shell of sand now had a large hole in it as he fell. He then created another bird sculpture, this one shaped like an owl, to ride on and flew away from Gaara.

"You're good…yeah." Deidara complimented his target. '_I've only got a little clay left… just enough for one more attack._' he thought to himself before analyzing his opponent. '_All I have left of my explosives is number 18 and this homing bird…yeah._' Deidara thought as he reached pulled out his C3 explosive.

Down below the two combatants, Baki and Kankuro, along with several sand ninja watched, quickly figuring out the opponent was a member of Akatsuki, Baki ordered his subordinates to prepare for battle and to set up a barrier to protect the civilians.

"Kankuro." Baki said.

"What is it?"

"Consider the scenario of the Shukaku taking over."

"That won't happen. Gaara won't hurt the people of this village." Kankuro replied as he remembered a conversation he had with his brother. Why he wanted to become Kazekage and how he could now see how important bonds were from Naruto Uzumaki and how he wished to one day be needed… not as a weapon, but as the Kazekage. As he thought this, almost as if to prove he was successful, several Shinobi yelled out their encouragement to their leader, the one they had once feared and wished to die as Kankuro smiled.

Back up in the sky, Deidara had let go of his C3 explosive, which grew to massive size before spreading it's arms.

"That's it. I'm going to destroy this village… yeah. Because being stopped from below would be annoying and I'm tired of that emotionless look you're giving me." Deidara said. '_He's stronger than I thought, Sasori was right, I was unprepared._' With that, the enormous clay sculpture descended towards the village. Gaara finally showed emotion, shock laced with fear, as the bomb made it's way to his village. Baki orders the ninja to spread out and protect the civilians but there's no time and Deidara detonates his C3 explosive in the air above Suna, the explosion large enough to consume most of the village. As the explosion began, a massive amount of sand raised up from the desert and formed a shield over the village, protecting it.

"Thi… this is…" One ninja said in awe.

"Lord Kazehage's sand."

"Wow! To be able to create a huge shield like that…!"

"Gaara…" Kankuro said as he watched his younger brother protect their people with pride.

In his shield of sand, Gaara was breathing heavily, even for a Jinchuriki, albeit the Jinchuriki of the weakest Biju, that took a lot out of him. Deidara looked to the redhead with a grin.

"You're in range… yeah." Gaara looked to the side and his eyes widened as he saw a small clay bird dangerously close to him. Gaara's shell of sand vanished in an explosion, but when the smoke cleared, the shell had reformed, the bit of sand he had sent to attack Deidara had returned and shielded him from the blast.

"That specially made sand's fast… just as I expected." Deidara said before he made a hand sign. Inside the shield, Gaara was panting from exhaustion when his eyes widened. He saw clay in the sand and realized he had been tricked.

'_Damn._' The clay exploded the shell of sand now working against the Kazekage and containing the explosion inside with him. Deidara smiled evilly as he saw the shell of sand fall apart until Gaara, who was now on his last legs, was exposed. The Kazekage struggled as he held out his hand, trying to use the last of his strength to move the giant shield of sand safely away from the village before it crushed it.

"Heh, Typical Kazekage, using the last of your strength to protect the village. It would have been easier just to let it drop on them…yeah."

"Gaara!" Kankuro yelled out in shock as he watched the his brother fall out of the sky before being caught by Deidara's bird.

"Not killing him was harder than I thought but, mission accomplished."

Kankuro and Baki watched as their Kage was taken, both realizing what they were after, Kankuro took off in the direction of the captors.

"Kankuro! If they were strong enough to beat Gaara, you won't be able to do anything by yourself!"

"So you're just going to abandon him?" Kankuro shouted in outrage as he stopped and looked back at his former sensei.

"It's not like that! Ok, just follow them, don't take action! Follow them to their base and wait for reinforcements!"

"Alright, If I can!" Kankuro yelled back, sure he wouldn't be able to wait. Baki knew it too and kicked the ground in frustration. Baki quickly made his way back to the Kazekage's Office and assumed command of Suna's forces. He ordered his subordinates to send word to Konoha and for a team to follow Kankuro as he walked through its halls.

Deidara flew down, hovering just above ground alongside Sasori.

"You're late… I said not to keep me waiting." Sasori said gruffly.

"He was stronger than I thought…yeah."

"That's why I told you to be prepared."

Minutes after their departure, Kankuro arrived and looked on in shock and horror at the corpses of the guards.

"Wha-… what the… this is insane!" He said, barely above a whisper. Before he clenched his teeth in anger and charged past the bodies. Outside the village, the Akatsuki members walked away with their prize, when they heard a voice telling them to wait. They turned to see Kankuro, standing there, ready to fight for his brother's safety.

"Return Gaara!" Kankuro ordered the terrorists.

"Deidara… you go on ahead." Sasori said. Kankuro reached to his back and pulled out his three scrolls, summoning his puppets.

"Puppet jutsu?" Sasori questioned.

"Right… I'll go on ahead…yeah." Deidara said.

"Like I'll let you go!" Kankuro called out as he sent his attack puppet, the crow, out to attack, only to watch in shock as a mechanical tail extended from Sasori's cloak and wrapped around the puppet.

"I don't like waiting or making people wait, so I'll end this quickly." Sasori said, obviously not viewing the young puppeteer as a threat.

* * *

><p>In Konoha, Naruto and Fu had finished their date and had joined Sakura in waiting for the perpetually late jonin. It was decided that the two would work under a jonin for a few missions before leading any of their own. The male Jinchuriki sighed as they waited, leaning against a wall with his arm crossed beside his girlfriend who in turn was leaning on his shoulder. They'd only been standing there for five minutes, but already it was bringing back memories of standing around, waiting for their sensei until dozing off for Naruto and Sakura.<p>

"I knew he was going to be late." The blond grumbled. "Some things never change…"

"Really? Do you have so little faith in me, Naruto?" A voice asked from above them. The three teens looked up to see the Sharingan wielder sitting in a crouch on the roof above them. The two original members of Team Seven looked positively shocked by the appearance of their sensei.

"Ka-Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura stammered.

"But, you've never been less than two hours late." Naruto said in disbelief.

Kakashi shrugged. "Well, nothing got in my way this morning so I managed to get here in relatively short order." '_And I had this odd sense of foreboding that compelled me to arrive on time…_'

Fu grinned at the blond special jonin. "Maybe his instincts warned him of what we were planning to do if he was late today." She said, causing Kakashi's eye to twitch.

Naruto chuckled while Sakura looked quizzically at the two. "Yeah, that must be it. The guy's so chronically late he almost got Sasuke disqualified from the Chunin Exams, I don't think anything but a threat to his precious Icha-Icha would get him to go anywhere on time." He said in a joking manner.

Fu giggled before turning her gaze to the silver-haired jonin, who was currently thanking the gods he'd arrived relatively on time. "Do you always have to act so detached about everything? It's the first time you'll be going on a mission with your students in years, shouldn't you be a little less apathetic?"

Sakura waved her hand at the question. "Don't bother. He always acts this way. He never gets enthusiastic or excited over anything."

Naruto smirked. "Aside from the Pervy Sage's books. You know Kakashi-sensei, you might be able to find a girlfriend of your own if you didn't read that smut out in the open."

Kakashi's visible eye squinted at their words. '_I'm losing my dignity, aren't I?_' he asked himself before the three jonin of the group jerked their heads to the sky. Sakura followed their gaze and saw a falcon flying to the aviary.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

"A messenger bird… a fast one." Fu said.

"That means something big is happening." Naruto said seriously, which surprised Sakura a little.

"They're right… that kind of bird can cross countries in a matter of minutes… they would only send one like that if there was an emergency." Kakashi said. "But we shouldn't worry about it unless we're sent to deal with it. It's counter-productive to our mission. Come on, let's get going, if we're much later, I'll have to hear about it from Lady Hokage later."

"It's your fault we're late Kakashi-sensei." Naruto replied as they headed out. After the team made it to Tsunade's office, Iruka aiding her with handing out missions, they weren't too pleased with the mission Tsunade had selected for them, a simple B-rank bodyguard mission, but none would voice this to the temperamental woman.

"Are you serious?" Or not.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Tsunade asked as she rested her head on the back of her hand, obviously uncaring of Naruto's objections.

"This seems kind of boring, just guarding a minor official."

"Yeah… you got a problem with that." Tsunade asked and Naruto sighed.

"Of course. If I have to do it I will, but isn't there something better? I was hoping for something memorable for my first mission with my new rank, but, you're the boss." Naruto said, obviously not happy.

"Well, at least you don't act like you run the place anymore. So-" Tsunade was cut off when a woman barged into the room.

"Lady Hokage! Urgent message from Suna! The Kazekage's been taken by an organization called Akatsuki!" the Kunoichi yelled. The teen's eyes widened while the adults took it in stride. Fu took Naruto's hand in hers, both fearing for their fellow Jinchuriki.

"Ok, team Kakashi… I'm giving you a new mission, you're to immediately travel to Suna, find out the situation and report. Afterwards, you're to follow their orders and back them up."

* * *

><p>Kankuro lie on the ground, utterly defeated. His puppets were in pieces around him and he could hardly move. He groaned in pain as he looked up towards his opponent.<p>

'_My body's going numb… damn… he uses poison too…_' Kankuro thought.

"Your plan was good, but not good enough against me." Sasori said and Kankuro glared at the man, wondering how he read his moves so easily.

"That look tells me you're wondering how I read your preparations so easily. It's because the one who created those puppets, Crow, Black Ant and Salamander was me!" Kankuro's eyes widened as he realized who he had been fighting. "A youngster like you being my opponent… this was the most entertaining battle I've had in a long time."

"Wait… you're the genius puppet creator… Sasori of the Red Sand?" Kankuro asked in disbelief and fear.

"For my name to be known by one so young is an honor."

"You left Suna over twenty years ago… why?" Kankuro asked.

"What good is it for someone who is about to die to ask that?" Sasori replied as he raised his puppets tail in front of him, it's poison dripping onto the desert sand. The tail speared forward but was deflected by the head of the Black Ant puppet. Kankuro used the last of his strength to send one of the Crows severed arms to Sasori's head, though it seemed to be an attempt to take him down with him, his real purpose was to secure a piece of Sasori's robe to track him, and luckily, he succeeded.

"Close." Sasori said. "The poison's making it's rounds. To be suffering like you are… if you want to live so badly, fine. But that poison will kill you in three days anyway." Sasori said as his tail retracted.

'_Gaara…_' with that, Kankuro lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>Team Kakashi, Tsunade and Iruka stood at the gate. Kakashi and Sakura were wearing backpacks with everything they would need while Naruto and Fu had placed everything they could need in a scroll each.<p>

"Time to go." Naruto said, now that they were all ready.

"Okay, Lady Tsunade, off we go." Sakura said.

"Do your best." Iruka said encouragingly to his younger brother figure..

"Yeah." Naruto replied as the four began to set out. Jut after they took the first few steps, Jiraiya appeared before them.

"Yo. Going on a mission huh?" Jiraiya asked.

"You got it." Naruto confirmed.

"Well, more importantly, something terrible has happened, the Kazekage-" Jiraiya began.

"I know, I'm sending them to take care of it." Tsunade replied, pointing to Team Kakashi.

"You're going to send them both to face Akatsuki?" Jiraiya whispered to her and she nodded. He was confident in his students, but that didn't stop him from worrying.

"Naruto, Fu." Jiraiya called to them. "Be careful of the Akatsuki."

"We know." Fu said "We'll be fine Ero-sensei, we are your students, after all."

"Come on, we need to get going." Naruto said.

"See ya." Kakashi waved and with that, the group was off.

* * *

><p>Baki stood at Kankuro's bedside with two other Suna ninja. They had just finished looking the puppeteer over, and the results were not good. The boy groaned in pain as they spoke about his condition.<p>

"It's a new poison and we haven't found an antidote yet." one of the ninja said grimly. "He doesn't have much time… three days at the most."

"Gaara… and now Kankuro." Baki said as he lamented how he couldn't help his former students. "I guess… all we can do is ask the retired siblings."

* * *

><p>The four leaf ninja made their way to Suna at full speed, jumping from tree to tree as they went to rescue Gaara. The two Jinchuriki both wished to go faster were only holding themselves back thanks to their training. Even though Fu didn't know Gaara, he was another who knew her pain and he was a friend of Naruto's, so she wanted to save him almost as much as he did.<p>

As they traveled, Naruto had his Wind Dragon's Vigilance activated and sensed a chakra signature ahead.

"Someone's up ahead… I think it's Temari." Naruto alerted the others. He wasn't familiar with Temari's chakra signature but he thought she should be around here since she had no need to travel full speed. Half a minute later, they saw Temari walking down the road beneath them.

"Temari!" Sakura called out, getting the blonde's attention.

"Oh, you guys. What's got you in such a hurry?" Temari asked as they landed beside her.

"Gaara was captured by Akatsuki and we've been sent to help." Fu said quickly, alarming the sand ninja.

"What? Gaara?" Temari yelled, her eyes wide.

"It'll take three days to reach Suna from here if we move at full speed… let's hurry." Kakashi said.

"…Ok." with that, Temari joined their group and the five jumped beck into the trees.

As they traveled, Temari noticed both Naruto and Fu were almost seething, she understood why Fu felt this way, she was a Jinchuriki like her brother, but that Naruto shared her feelings on the situation was surprising to her.

"Damn it, can't we go faster." Naruto almost snarled.

"Naruto, calm down. I thought you had your emotions under control." Kakashi said calmly.

"I know but…." Naruto said and everyone looked to him. "That's right… you're the only one here who doesn't know, aren't you Temari? I'm the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, the Nine Tailed Demon Fox." Naruto said angrily. Temari's eyes widened and Sakura looked to the ground sadly. "Their after us because of the Biju… I can't stand that they look at us as monsters. And Gaara… he's suffered even more than me and Fu have… That's why I'll definitely save him."

'_Naruto Uzumaki… thank you._' Temari looked sadly, thinking of how her brother and these two she was traveling with had suffered because of their burdens and knowing it was because of her fellow blond that Gaara had changed the way he had. Until now, she didn't know how he got through to him.

"I know we can't tire ourselves out, but I want to go faster because we're running out of time." Naruto said and Temari's head jerked up to look at him.

"What do you mean?" Temari asked, obviously afraid of the answer.

"Jiraiya told us… once the Akatsuki capture a Jinchuriki… they immediately travel to one of their bases and begin extracting the Biju." Fu said.

Temari's eyes widened with horror. "No…" she said, barely above a whisper. '_Gaara…_'

"What… what is it? Why's that so bad?" Sakura asked with trepidation, Fu's tone and Temari's reaction gave her a good idea of what the answer would be.

"… If their Biju is removed…" Fu began, moving her hand to the seal on the center of her chest. "…the Jinchuriki will die." Sakura gasped as her eyes widened and a tear formed in the corner of her eye. "We don't know how hard it will be to locate them or how far from a base they are… for all we know… they may already have begun the extraction by the time we reach Suna. That's why we want to move as fast as we can. There's no time to waste." Temari felt extremely grateful to, and Sakura impressed by, the two Jinchuriki. That they were rushing to take on an group like Akatsuki, when they knew what would happen if they were captured, all for the sake of someone they hadn't even met that much in Naruto's case and at all in Fu's, even if it was partially because of what they had in common, showed what kind of people the two were.

"We don't have much time with how far we have to travel." Naruto said. "We should go as fast as we can without tiring ourselves out. It's not like I was thinking of going full speed all the way to the Akatsuki. We can rest for a bit while we gather information in Suna, right?"

"Well, I suppose we can afford to go a bit faster, and you're right… if they're going to begin extracting the Shukaku as soon as they can, we don't have much time." Kakashi said.

* * *

><p>In Suna, Kankuro was beginning to stir. Hearing the voice of his former sensei, he struggled to give him the vital information he had gained about the one he fought.<p>

"It's… him." the puppeteer barely managed to say.

"Kankuro?" Baki asked, surprised. Baki knelt down and Kankuro whisper in his ear the identity of his opponent. Baki's visible eye widened in shock when he heard the name of one of his villages most famous shinobi. To the slight confusion of the two other ninja watching over Kankuro, Baki stood up without a word and walked out of the room, going straight to the residence of the pair of honored siblings, the oldest and most respected ninja in their village.

Inside their residence, the two elders, a brother and sister sat, fishing in an indoor pond, the sister wasn't moving or making a sound.

"Sister… are you dead?" the brother, Ebizo asked, theough by now, he really should know better. Ebizo gasped as the sister, Chiyo, slumped forward, her fishing rod falling from her grasp… only for her to spring to life and catch the fishing rod a moment before it would have landed in the water.

"Got you… I was just playing dead." Chiyo said merrily before laughing.

"You shouldn't act so childish, sister." Ebizo said before the two became serious as they sensed Baki coming and moments later he entered the room.

"Honored siblings… I beg you to assist us." Baki said respectfully.

"Old books are better left on a high shelf, bound together… there's nothing we can do now." Chiyo replied.

"An organization called Akatsuki has taken the Shukaku, if we let this lie, something terrible will happen." Baki said to the elders.

"This is your generation… do it yourselves."

"You have strong connections with every village. Those ties you have to villages not allied with our own, we can't gather the necessary information without them." Baki argued calmly.

"We no longer have any attachments to this world, we retired long ago. The only tie I have left to this world is a desire to see my grandsons face one more time." Chiyo said.

"That is favorable… because your grandson is a member of Akatsuki." Baki said, causing the siblings eyes to widen slightly.

Ebizo looked to his sister who looked sadly into the water. '_Sasori…_'

* * *

><p>Three medical ninja along with Baki, Ebizo and Chiyo stood beside Kankuro's bed. The old woman could still hardly believe her grandson had fallen so far. She had just finished looking over Kankuro and as much as she hated to admit it, the poison was beyond her.<p>

"Poison is my specialty… but even I don't know of this… Sasori's grown over the years."

"… What should we do?" Baki asked.

"Well, the only one who has more knowledge in neutralizing poisons than me is the Slug Princess of Konoha, Tsunade. During the Great War, she was able to embarrass me by figuring out my poisons and creating antidotes immediately. All you can do is call her for aid, you are allies with Konoha now, aren't you?"

"But she's the Hokage now. She can't leave her village that easily and even if she could it would take three days to reach Suna from Konoha, by then it'll be too late. For now, we've sent a request to Konoha for a team of specialists and it's taking all our strength to wait for them to arrive." Baki explained.

"Hmph, Stop relying on other people." Chiyo said sternly. "You're so dependent on your alliances with other countries you've become careless with your own training. That's why you're in this situation."

"Becoming dependent… that's not what we intended." Baki replied.

"It can't be helped, it's because he lost his composure and chased them too far that he's like this." Ebizo said.

"Why are you depending on Konoha anyway? Because you didn't put advancement of your own villages power as the first priority. They are them, we are us. Friendly alliances are just a fabrication. All they will do is send useless underlings. The main point is… I can't stand that slug woman!"

Back in Konoha, Tsunade sneezed just as she was briefing Team Gai on their back up mission to Suna.

At the main gate, Team Kakashi and Temari finally arrive at Suna's main entrance. They're all catching their breaths as a guard ran towards them.

"You're here, and Temari's with you. We've been waiting, please, this way!"

"Right." Naruto replied.

As they followed the guard to the hospital, they were informed Kankuro had been wounded and poisoned pursuing the Akatsuki and they had no cure. They all got to Kankuro's room. Sakura and Temari all entered the room while Naruto, Fu and Kakashi stood outside, looking into the room through the open doorway. Everyone looked up when they entered and Chiyo saw Kakashi.

"The White Fang of Konoha!" Chiyo seethed before jumping to attack Kakashi only to be deflected by Naruto. The boy blocked two punches and a kick before Chiyo jumped back as everyone else stood in shock. Naruto noted that, despite her age, she fought with skill, speed and reflexes beyond most jonin.

"Why are you attacking Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked angrily.

"The White Fang… my son's enemy… I'll get revenge for him today." Chiyo declared.

"Ah, no, I'm not-!" Kakashi began.

"There's no use arguing!" Chiyo cut him off, preparing to attack again.

"Sister… look closely." Ebizo said, raising his arm in front of Chiyo to stop her. "Though there is a resemblance, this man is not the White Fang."

"Huh?" Chiyo asked before scrutinizing Kakashi. "Got you, I was just pretending to be confused." Chiyo said, laughing, trying to play off her mistake while Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. He knew Chiyo was someone even Tsunade respected and fighting her wouldn't be good for him, the mission, or their alliance. After this was over, Sakura extracted the poison with her Poison Extraction Technique.

"There, his life isn't in danger anymore, I've directly removed most of the poison." Sakura said and Temari slumped against a wall and breathed a sigh of relief that her little brother was ok. "I still need to make an antidote for the poison left in his body, we can't relax yet. Please gather what I say." Chiyo looked on, deep in thought. It seemed that she may have been wrong, she was sure Konoha would send someone useless as a formality, but they had sent someone who's knowledge of medical skill was comparable to her rival. Naruto smiled as he saw how far his teammate had come while Fu wanted to help, she had taken to the books on poison and medicine Jiraiya made them read.

"… I'm surprised the leaf would send someone like you… you remind me of that slug woman." Chiyo finally voiced her thoughts.

"Well, she is my master and she's the one who sent me." Sakura replied with a smile while Chiyo looked down when she heard this.

"Sister… time has passed us by it seems…" Ebizo said.

"Ok, while Sakura takes care of that antidote, what do you know about the two who took Gaara?" Naruto asked, having fully calmed down now, surprising Kakashi and Sakura. Both were once again reminded how he had grown. The old Naruto would have wanted to rush ahead without a plan.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at the gates of the Konohagakure, Tsunade stood before Team Gai. Gai, Neji and Tenten stood looking at their leader while Lee knelt, fixing his weights.<p>

"You're going on the same mission as Team Kakashi. Your mission is to head for the sand and support them with Kakashi's team, is that understood."

"Right." Gai said enthusiastically. "Let's get there in one day."

"No, sensei. Let us get there in half a day." Lee said with the same enthusiasm.

"What are they talking about? It takes three days to get to the Suna." Neji said, annoyed by his teammates antics.

"Please stop talking such nonsense." Tenten said, exasperated.

* * *

><p>While Naruto and Kakashi remained in Kankuro's room with the sand ninja, Sakura and Fu went to prepare the medicine. Fu had taken to the books on poison and medicine that Jiraiya had made them read and her skill impressed Sakura, especially considering the green haired girl was self-taught. She knew more than most medical Nin. That being said, she couldn't provide much more than an extra set of hands, the poison was too complex for her to try to come up with the antidote herself and not risk making a mistake. She also found the girl was interested in medical jutsu, partially to help her comrades and she saw how useful it could be and partially because she was a bit jealous of Naruto's regenerative abilities. Sakura wasn't sure how she felt about that, since, the way she saw it, if Naruto and Fu were strong enough to fight Kakashi and Asuma alone, her medical expertise was all she contributed to the team.<p>

Back in the hospital room, the ninja were discussing the Akatsuki.

"So Gaara's attacker was a blond with his hair in a ponytail who used strange explosives?" Naruto asked. "Is there anything else you can tell me about what he looked like or the village he came from?"

"I think…" Kankuro struggled as he got up. He was still weak from the poison. "…he was from Iwa…"

"Kankuro! Are you ok?" Temari said, still worried about her brother.

"Yeah… I'm feeling better now." the puppeteer replied.

"A blond explosives expert S-class missing-nin from Iwa… Deidara…" Naruto said, his eyes narrowed.

"You know him?" Kakashi asked.

"While we were traveling, Pervy Sage had me and Fu memorize every bingo book he could get his hands on. It was a good idea, looking back on it. I remember all the poor slobs who picked a fight with the old perv because they didn't recognize him."

"Excuse me, but, Pervy Sage?" Temari asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You'd know him as Jiraiya of the Sannin, I call him that because… well, it fits him… the guy spends most of his free time peeking on hot springs. It's a real disappointment, but he's as good as they say he is." Naruto said, much to the Suna nin's shock.

'_They sent not only Tsunade's student, but two of Jiraiya's as well… things really have changed…_' Chiyo thought and Ebizo's thought mirrored her own.

"Anyway, I'll wait till Sakura gets back so we don't have to explain it twice, Fu will recognize the guy too." Naruto said.

"What came of the pursuit of the Akatsuki?" Kakashi asked.

"Nothing, Kankuro went alone, we've completely lost them" Baki said, obviously upset over their failure to gather information.

"That's… not true." Kankuro said. "I managed to catch a bit of one of their clothing on Crow's hand."

"Making a success from a failure, you truly are ninja of the sand." Kakashi complimented the puppet user.

"Kankuro… are you certain the other attacker was Sasori of the Red Sand?" Chiyo asked.

"Elder Chiyo and Elder Ebizo?" Kankuro asked in shock.

"What about that, Kankuro?" Ebizo asked, urging him to answer the question.

"… Yeah… it was him… he told me so himself." Kankuro said, knowing it must be hard for Chiyo to hear. Soon after, Sakura and Fu returned, having made five antidotes and Sakura gave one to Kankuro.

"Drink it up." Sakura said as she helped Kankuro drink, after he finished, she assured them he should be ok now.

"Ok, so, what do we know about these Akatsuki?" Kakashi asked.

"… One of them is known as Sasori of the Red Sand… my grandson…" Chiyo began, surprising the leaf ninja. "He's a genius puppeteer who's skill was so great that during the last great war, he would dye the sands red with the blood of his enemies, which is what gave him his epithet. As you've seen, his skill with poison surpasses my own and he applies his poisons to all his weapons. A single attack is lethal. He's also known as the creator and only user of human puppets."

"Human puppets?" Kakashi asked.

"Puppets made from the bodies of still living people. They retain the chakra and abilities, even Kekkei Genkai, that the ninja had in life." Chiyo finished her explanation.

"Ok… what about Deidara, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"Deidara's a member of Akatsuki? Should have guessed." Fu said.

"Deidara's a missing-nin of Iwa with a bounty of 70 million on his head. He's the former student of the Third Tsuchikage and he has the Explosion Style Kekkei Genkai. He somehow molds the explosive chakra into his clay sculptures and turns them into moving bombs." Naruto said. "I don't really know much about his abilities besides that."

"70 million?" Sakura asked, amazed. "Is he really that strong?"

"No… I mean, he's an S-class ninja but he's no Itachi Uchiha. The guy's insane. He thinks his explosions are works of art. He views every one of them as a major artistic achievement. The guy hired himself out to terrorist groups in several countries just so he could blow stuff up, and because of how he views his explosives, he didn't try too hard to hide his hand in them whereas most missing-nin, S-class or not, do everything in their power to stay below the radar." Fu explained.

"He's responsible for the destruction of a lot of civilian and government buildings in several countries and the deaths of several officials and countless innocents. The only bounty bigger than his is Orochimaru's." Naruto said.

"How powerful are his explosives?" Kakashi asked.

"From what's said in the bingo book, they range from 'blow your limbs off' to 'destroy half a great ninja village.'" Naruto deadpanned. "If that's all you got, we need to hurry." the blond said, he and Fu had everything they needed in easy to carry scrolls, so they were already prepared. As the group prepared to leave, Kankuro recalled what Gaara had told him, that Naruto knew the same pain he did and was responsible for his change in beliefs and personality.

"Naruto Uzumaki…" Kankuro said, getting everyone's attention. "Please save my brother."

"Leave it to me. Because I plan to be Hokage, I'll secure an advance favor from the Kazekage." Naruto said with a confident smirk.

* * *

><p>Minutes later, the group stood outside the building.<p>

"Kakashi… let me see that cloth for a moment." Fu said.

"Hm? Sure, I'm sure I don't need to tell you to be careful with it." Kakashi said as he handed the torn piece of the Akatsuki's robe to her. As she took it, four small beetles crawled out of her sleeve and covered the cloth. "What are you doing?"

"These beetles are one of three species of insects I have. Their kind of like the Bikochu that were used by the Aburame during the last war." Fu said. "Now…" she made hand signs. "Summoning Jutsu!" in a poof of smoke, a chameleon appeared.

"Hey, good to see you Fu." the chameleon said.

"Oh… you have the chameleon contract?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, she told us about it after their promotions." Sakura said as she recalled what she told them about their time in the Land of Necks.

"Nice to see you too, Daisuke." Fu replied.

"Hey, how come you didn't summon us to Konoha? We still need to connect the portal to your village."

"I know… but as you can see something came up… the Akatsuki have taken the Kazekage, the Jinchuriki of the Ichibi." They had told the summons about the Akatsuki.

"I see, what do you need me for?"

"These insects have their scent. I want you to follow them and scout ahead, between you and them, we should get a pretty good idea of their defenses." Fu said. While the beetles could communicate with her, they couldn't identify some traps and jutsu but one of the chameleons could.

"Ok, I'll do my best." the chameleon said and with that, the beetles flew off and the chameleon quickly trailed after them, seconds later activating it's camouflage technique and vanishing. Fortunately, even if the Akatsuki had a sensor, the small chameleon had little chakra, a sensor would likely dismiss it. The chameleon and the beetles would be able to travel at full speed, since they wouldn't have to worry about fighting.

"Good idea Fu." Kakashi said as he took the cloth back. Three more beetles took to the air around Fu, ready to lead them after the attackers too. "Now, let's get going."

"If you wait a little, we can have skilled ninja here too." Baki said

"I'm going too." Temari said adamantly.

"Temari, you stay here and work on border defense." Chiyo said, looking down on them from the top of the building, surprising everyone present. "For the sands contribution, I'm more than enough."

"But Elder Chiyo." Temari began.

"That would be too much for you." Baki said.

"Don't treat me like an old woman!" Chiyo yelled as she jumped off the building and landed before them, surprising Sakura while Naruto, Fu and Kakashi just looked on. "I've wanted to give some love to my grandson for a while now."

* * *

><p>Sasori and Deidara stood with the bird that was carrying Gaara before a mountain underneath a Torii before a massive boulder with a seal that read 'Forbidden' on it in the Land of Rivers. Seconds later, the boulder slid up and they walked into the mountain cave. Inside stood a silhouette with purple eyes with four concentric rings, the leader of Akatsuki.<p>

"You're late… prepare it immediately." the leader said.

"The Jinchuriki was stronger than I thought… yeah." Deidara said as the bird placed Gaara on the ground and they disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The leader then made hand signs and summoned an enormous, demonic statue with nine closed eyes, a bit in it's mouth and it's hands turned upward and bound by shackles.

"Right." the leader said before Sasori and Deidara jumped onto two of the statues fingers while the silhouettes of the other members appeared on it's other fingers, leaving only two vacant. "Now, let us begin."

* * *

><p><strong>That's it for chapter 8. I hope you liked it.<strong>

**Wow, I almost feel sorry for Sasori and Deidara, they are royally screwed. With Deidara missing an arm, disabling his stronger clay techniques like the dragon which takes two hands and out of already made sculptures like the C3 and C4, and Sasori having been beaten by Chiyo and Sakura alone in canon, with Naruto and Fu now strong enough to face them both alone on even terms, they don't really stand a chance.**

**Here's another question for you, should I raise the rating to M and include lemons or not? If I do include some, there will be two to four and I won't say when they will be.**

**Finally, I'd like to announce I'll be posting a new story, soon unless something comes up. It's a Rinnegan Naruto story. I'll focus on this story so it may not see frequent updates.**

**As always, please review.**


	9. Chapter 9

**The poll is now closed. Looks like Sasuke will not be saved.**

**Still haven't decided if I'll write lemons or not. If I do, it won't be to get more readers.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p>In their mountain base in the Land of Rivers, the Akatsuki gathered on the fingers of the statue while the leader looked up at the statue from the floor. The leader made a hand sign and his silhouette vanished and reappeared on a finger of the statue as the bit fell out of the statue's mouth.<p>

"From this point forward, it will take three days and nights to complete the seal. Everyone, be mindful of your real bodies." the leader instructed. "Zetsu, use your real body as a lookout, you have the largest range."

"I know." Zetsu replied.

"3 days eh?" The silhouette with shark like eyes, Kisame said. "Shouldn't we expect it to take a bit longer?"

"If you really think so, let's get started already." the leader replied and before making a hand sign, causing the finger he was standing on to glow, the other Akatsuki did as he did with the same results and the statue's mouth began to glow. "Sealing Technique: Illusionary Nine Dragon Consuming Seal!" the leader said and nine spectral dragons erupted from its mouth and traveled towards the unconscious Gaara. The dragons impacted with Gaara's place on the ground and he was lifted into the air in a flash of light.

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><p>Team Gai raced through a forest on their way to Suna. As usual, Gai and Lee were overdoing it.<p>

"Hey! I said you guys are going too fast! We've been going non-stop for an entire day already! Let's take a little break!" Tenten yelled.

"Tenten, you lack discipline." Lee said. Neji then noticed something approaching. A second later, Pakkun landed on the branch before them.

"Wait Gai!" Pakkun said.

"Pakkun?" Gai said as they stopped.

Pakkun then briefed them on the situation and that the ninja hounds had found than the Akatsuki had gone to the Land of Rivers. As the group prepared to travel to the Akatsuki base, they were unaware that they were being watched.

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><p>Back in the Akatsuki hideout, Gaara screamed in pain as the Shukaku was ripped from his body, his red chakra streaming from his mouth and eyes into the statues mouth.<p>

"**An enemy from Konoha is approaching.** He seems very skilled, his name is Maito Gai." Zetsu said.

"… Who's that?" the leader asked.

"He's a jonin from Konoha that specializes in taijutsu. He's quite talented so take care not to underestimate him." the red eyed silhouette, Itachi said.

"Ah, that beast, eh?" Kisame said.

"… I'll use that jutsu." the leader said.

"Let me go. I've had a hard time finding my Jinchuriki and I'm starting to get irritated." Hidan said.

"No, I'll take care of it. I have a score to settle with that man." Kisame said.

"Indeed… after all, that jutsu is suitable for you, as you have the large amount of chakra even for us Akatsuki, Kisame. However, I'll still require 30% of your chakra." the leader said and Hidan scoffed, angered at his loss of a chance to vent.

"Finally, it looks like I'll be able to pay him back for that kick he gave me." Kisame said with a grin. (**A/N The Kisame Gai fight will be the same as canon, so I'm going to skip it.**)

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><p>As Team Kakashi and Chiyo jumped through the tree branches and occasionally the ground, Sakura moved to Naruto's side.<p>

"Naruto… can I ask you something?" Sakura began and Naruto turned his head to the pink haired girl. "When did the Akatsuki start targeting you?" Fu looked to her boyfriend a little worried, knowing this would be difficult for him to talk about.

"… I don't know. About three years ago, Itachi and a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Kisame Hoshigaki, came to try and capture me." Naruto said. "I hadn't heard of them before that and haven't seen any Akatsuki since."

"Why did they wait three years?" Sakura asked.

"… It usually takes a lot of work to separate a Jinchuriki and the Biju… maybe that has something to do with it. It may have been because me and Fu were with Jiraiya, but it wasn't just us, they waited two years before they started trying to collect any Biju." Naruto said.

"Maybe they hadn't located us all yet." Fu added.

"'Us'? You're both Jinchuriki?" Chiyo asked.

"… I hold the Nanabi… and Naruto has the Kyuubi." Fu said. Chiyo then understood why the two wanted to save Gaara.

"I see… I wonder why the Akatsuki are pursuing the Biju." Chiyo said.

"We… have a hunch…" Naruto began, surprising Sakura and Chiyo. "It may be because they can control the Biju without Jinchuriki."

"No one can control such power… that is why the Jinchuriki are necessary to the ninja villages." Chiyo replied.

"Actually, there have been two people who could control them… Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, and we suspect one of the Akatsuki may have the same power." Fu said. Chiyo knew this of course, but had never thought someone else could have that power.

"… If that's the case, then the situation is worse than we imagined." Chiyo replied.

As they traveled through the trees, they too, were spotted by Zetsu.

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><p>Back at the hideout, the statues eyes were now open, revealing that all the eyes were blank aside from one which had an iris and pupil, that eye held the Gobi, taken from Han from Iwa.<p>

"There's another enemy approaching… ninja of the Leaf." Zetsu said.

"Well… who's next?" the leader asked.

* * *

><p>As Team Kakashi and Chiyo jumped towards in a clearing, Kakashi, Chiyo, Naruto and Fu noticed someone up ahead. Naruto activated his Wind Dragon's Vigilance Technique as they jumped out of the tree line.<p>

"Everyone halt!" Kakashi ordered.

Standing in the clearing, waiting for them, was Itachi Uchiha.

"Who…?" Sakura questioned.

"Those eyes…" Chiyo observed.

"Itachi Uchiha." Naruto said, narrowing his eyes at the clan slayer.

'_Th-This is… Itachi?_' Sakura asked herself in shock.

"Itachi… ho… this is the child who killed his entire family?" Chiyo noted.

"This is the guy trying to capture Naruto." Fu said angrily.

"It's been a while, Naruto, Kakashi." Itachi said without emotion.

'_The same Sharingan as Sasuke… this guy's the cause of Naruto and Sasuke's suffering._' Sakura thought, clenching her teeth and fists.

Itachi raised his hand and Kakashi knew he was going to cast a genjutsu.

"Everyone, don't look at his eyes!" Kakashi warned.

"Well, what should we do?" Sakura asked.

"Judge his movements by his body and feet. He can't catch you in his genjutsu as long as you avoid eye contact." Kakashi said.

"This is hard." Sakura noted as she tried to do as Kakashi instructed.

"It's been a long time since I faced a Sharingan. But there's no need to be overwhelmed. There are many tactics for dealing with dojutsu." Chiyo said.

"Yeah…" Naruto said. "Like Kakashi said, you can avoid looking at their faces. If you outnumber them, you can attack from the blind spot."

"The boy is right." Chiyo noted.

"But it won't be that easy… Itachi can use powerful genjutsu even without the Sharingan… and he has the Mangekyo." Naruto said.

"That's correct…" Kakashi said. "If you get caught in that, there's no canceling its effects."

"Not to mention it gives him some powerful ninjutsu too." Fu added as she recalled what she had been told by Jiraiya. The Toad Sage was certain those black flames Itachi used to escape from him were a Mangekyo Sharingan jutsu.

"… You've done your homework. You seem to have grown a great deal since I last saw you, Naruto."

"However… the Mangekyo's abilities aren't without cost." Kakashi began. "It tires him out and takes considerable chakra… it also puts your eyes at risk doesn't it?"

"Well analyzed, after only facing me once." Itachi replied.

"Itachi… how far has your sight deteriorated?" Kakashi asked while revealing his own Sharingan.

Itachi's eyes widened, the only way Kakashi could know that is… "Kakashi… impossible… you…"

"There's something else…" Naruto said. "I can sense your chakra… you don't have nearly as much as someone at your level should… actually, you've got less than the average jonin." Naruto said, surprising everyone else there. "You don't look tired or fatigued or like you've been fighting recently… that's not really you is it? This is just a distraction."

"…I see… you must have some form of sensory jutsu… you truly have grown. You are correct. Since you'll figure it out anyway if you survive, I see no harm in telling you. This body is a copy of mine I'm controlling, created by our leader's Shape Shifting Technique." Itachi replied.

"Which means you've already begun the extraction." Fu realized.

"You're right… so now, what will you do about it?" Itachi replied and everyone's eyes narrowed.

"… Naruto… I want you to cover me." Kakashi said.

"I'll have to ask that you come with me, Naruto. And the Nanabi host as well." Itachi said, pointing to the blond. Thanks to his jutsu, Naruto detected the change in his chakra and knew he was placed under a genjutsu and immediately canceled it, mildly surprising Itachi. Naruto knew he wouldn't have been able to break it so easily, if at all, if that had been a Sharingan illusion, still, his experience in the art showed him it was an A class technique and far as he could tell, Itachi had cast the jutsu simply by pointing. He was still on a completely different level.

"You'll have to get past me first!" Kakashi said as he charged.

Itachi quickly ran through hand signs and inhaled. '_Fire Style: Grand Fireball!_' he thought and he breathed out a huge fireball that came barreling towards the copy ninja. Kakashi was seemingly consumed and the rest dodged the attack while Naruto sunk into the ground using the Underground Move Jutsu and rose out of the ground behind a tree to the side of the clearing. When the attack passed, there was a hole in the ground where Kakashi had been. Kakashi erupted from the ground and attempted an uppercut only for the missing-nin to lean back and dodge. Kakashi ducked under a punch but Itachi caught his head, forcing him to look into his eyes and catching the Copy Nin in a genjutsu. However, it only took him a moment to realize he had been tricked and what he had grabbed was a shadow clone. Naruto had sensed all this with his jutsu and quickly charged out of his hiding place. He created a blade of wind in his right hand and thrust it forward, impaling the copy through the heart. The Itachi clone's eyes widened before he smiled. Naruto canceled his wind blade, Kakashi's clone dispelled and the copy fell to the ground, transforming back into Yura as he did so, much to Chiyo's shock.

"What a powerful jutsu…" Fu said, looking at the corpse. Naruto's eyes narrowed. Even if that copy only had a fraction of his power he had the same skill, it shouldn't have been that easy, but his sensory jutsu told him he was gone.

"This is… Yura?" Chiyo asked. "He's a jonin from Suna… how could this be?"

"He could have been a spy, or maybe he was captured. Either way, he's dead and we need to save Gaara." Naruto said and the others nodded and they prepared to head out.

"You can figure out what happened to him later." Fu said as she took out a scroll and sealed the traitorous Suna nin's corpse away.

* * *

><p>Back in their lair, the leader looked up at Itachi, whose eyes opened as the jutsu fell.<p>

"Itachi's jutsu has already been released." the man noted.

"Huh… over that quickly… you're making us look bad, Itachi… yeah." Deidara said with a smirk.

"I was only at 30% and several of my opponents were above the jonin level." Itachi replied. In truth, though that was true, he hadn't put his all into the fight. He hadn't really wanted to succeed. With a high A borderline S-rank ninja (Kakashi), an actual S-rank ninja (Chiyo) and two Jinchuriki of unknown level fighting him, he could make a dive convincing.

"Nevertheless, with the barrier, that should have bought us enough time, and Kisame's still fighting the others. Well done, Itachi." the leader said.

"You say that, but the sacrifices were my subordinates." Sasori said somewhat irritably.

"… With my Shape Shifting Technique, they were able to become members of Akatsuki, even if only for a little while, they should be thanking us…" the leader said.

Soon after, Kisame lost his own battle. Ten minutes later, the leader decided they should have traveled far enough away by now.

"Zetsu… dispose of the two used for the Shape Shifting Technique."

"**Understood**."

"Itachi, who are they and how many?" the leader asked.

"From Konoha, Kakashi Hatake, Sakura Haruno, the Jinchuriki of the Nanabi, Fu, and the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, Naruto Uzumaki. Also, they are supported by Elder Chiyo from the sand, making a five-man team." Itachi replied and Sasori's head jerked up inside his puppet.

'… _Granny Chiyo…_' Sasori thought.

After another ten minutes of silence while the Akatsuki focused on the jutsu, Zetsu spoke up. "**Crap.**"

"What's the problem… yeah?" Deidara asked.

"Looks like they took the corpse of the sacrifice used for Itachi. **Probably used a sealing jutsu.**"

"… Sasori, Deidara. You now have another priority. When you capture the two Jinchuriki, retrieve our spy's corpse." the Leader ordered and the pair nodded.

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><p>That night, they had set up camp and Naruto, Sakura and Fu were resting. Chiyo looked at Naruto's sleeping form and was reminded of Sasori when he was a child. Kakashi told her they should finish resting and prepare to move. After the teens were woken up and were they put out the camp fire, they were just about to head out.<p>

"Wait." Fu said. Seconds later the beetles she sent with her chameleon returned, followed by Daisuke who suddenly appeared before them. "What did you find?"

"Good thing you sent me ahead, they have a Five Seals Barrier over the entrance to their cave." Daisuke said. "Sorry, but that kind of kept me from finding out anything else."

"That's ok, that's a big help. You did a good job." Fu replied and the chameleon nodded before he dispelled himself. Fu let her insects land on her hand and they relayed all they had discovered to her.

"Hm… good thing you sent them out, Fu." Kakashi noted.

"Yeah… I'll handle the barrier." Fu said and with that she raised her arms. A massive swarm of insects shot out of her sleeves and flew off towards the base. "I've told them where the base is, from there, they'll spread out until they locate the seal tags for the barrier."

"You can control that many insects over that kind of range." Sakura said in slight awe.

"Thanks to the Nanabi, Fu's ability to use and talk to insects surpass even the Aburame." Naruto said.

"I can communicate with my insects and direct them over a large distance, though the farther away they are, the harder it is and the less gets through. Still, I should be ready to bring the barrier down by the time we get to their hideout." Fu said with a smirk. Her abilities with her insects had vastly improved over the last five months of their training. Though, like the Aburame, she could still only receive information from her insects over a short range, she could sense and command them over a much larger distance. That, of course, only applied to the insects that had fed on the Nanabi's chakra.

"Ok, we need to head out. Let's go." Kakashi said.

* * *

><p>The Akatsuki were almost finished with the sealing. In less than an hour, they would possess their second Biju. Zetsu noticed that a team was about to arrive and spoke up.<p>

"**The five man team led by Kakashi is about to arrive. **Should be fine though right? They'll need four people to get rid of the barrier and from the looks of it, by the time the other team arrives, we'll be done already."

"Yes… the barrier should keep them or at least force them to split up." the leader said.

"Hey, Itachi… what kinds of guys are they?" Deidara asked.

"…"

"Answer him. Now." the leader ordered

"… I don't have much. You should know enough of Kakashi, though from what he said, he may have unlocked the Mangekyo."

"Ho? Sounds interesting… so you think he can use those crazy eyes too? Almost makes me glad he got lucky and lived three years ago." Kisame said as he thought about facing him in battle.

"I can't know what abilities his Mangekyo has if my suspicions are correct. The Nanabi host and Sakura didn't fight, as for the Kyuubi host… he has grown a great deal. He possesses some form of sensory technique which seems to function by infusing his chakra into the wind. Because of this, he was immediately able to discern that what they were fighting wasn't me and that it was just a distraction because of how little chakra I had and the fact that he didn't sense my true self in the area."

"That so? Huh, last we saw him he was just a loudmouth runt who's only real skill was summoning." Kisame noted. "Then again, I hear he and the Nanabi host had it out with Raiga, another of the Seven Swordsmen, a while back. Wonder what they did with his swords?"

"So they may possess the Kiba blades then?" Kakuzu asked. Having recalled hearing about that. It had annoyed the miser a bit. He'd wanted that bounty.

"Kiba blades?" Deidara asked.

"Each of the Seven Swordsmen's blades has a special ability. My Samehada is known as the most terrible of them for its ability to devour chakra and heal me with it. The Kiba is a pair of swords that convert the user's chakra to lightning and allow him to control natural lightning." Kisame said and Deidara's eyes narrowed. Lightning attacks were his weakness, if they had those swords and figured that out, it could be troublesome, especially with him missing an arm.

"What about the others?" Sasori asked.

"As I said, neither Sakura Haruno nor the Nanabi host participated… and you would know Chiyo's abilities better than I." Itachi said. Any reaction from Sasori was hidden by his puppet.

"Kakuzu… the Nanabi was originally from your old village, right? Any information?" Sasori asked.

"The Nanabi allows its host to control insects." the treasurer of Akatsuki replied.

"Like the Kamizuru or Aburame clans then?" Deidara asked.

"Not quite. The abilities of the Nanabi host far surpass either of those clans. Unlike them, she will not be limited to one species of insect and she will be able to sense and command insects who have fed on the Nanabi's chakra over large distances, several kilometers to be accurate once the ability is honed. The Biju's chakra will also enhance them and their abilities and their power will increase further while the host uses its chakra." Kakuzu explained.

"Is it possible for the Nanabi's insects to dispose of the seal tags for our barrier?" Sasori asked.

"If that occurs, I trust you to deal with them, just ensure the Jinchuriki survive." the leader said to the artists.

* * *

><p>Outside, Team Kakashi finally arrived at the Akatsuki base. Kakashi looked up and saw the seal tag.<p>

"The chameleon was right… Fu, have your insects located the seal tags?" Kakashi asked

"Yeah, the barriers are all a few hundred meters away. My insects are all in position." Fu said. She could sense them massing on the four seal tags a while before they arrived.

"Are you sure your orders will get through?" Sakura asked.

"Yes. I can communicate with them easily up to about two kilometers." Fu replied.

"Alright. When I give the order, have your insects destroy the seals." Kakashi said, jumping onto the boulder. "Sakura, I want you to destroy the boulder once the barrier is down. We'll use the button-hook entry."

"Got it." Sakura said.

"Now!" Kakashi ordered as he began to remove the seal. At the same time, Fu sent out a mental command and the insects, several hundred to a tag, destroyed the tags they surrounded. As soon as the tag was removed, Sakura charged forward and with a single punch, shattered the boulder.

Most of the Akatsuki member's eyes widened as the boulder was destroyed. They all turned towards the intruders as they entered. The intruder's looked on in awe with mouths agape as the saw the Gedo Mazo, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Inside Naruto and Fu, their Biju's eyes widened before narrowing in rage as they recognized the statue.

"Wha… what the hell's that?" Fu asked in shock before all their eyes turned to the Kazekage, still suspended in the air in an orb of chakra while the last of the Shukaku's chakra was ripped from him, though he was no longer screaming in pain.

"Gaara!" Naruto yelled.

"Sasori, Deidara dispose of them now." the leader ordered. The Sasori removed his puppet's mask, opened its mouth and released a hail of senbon, each coated with poison. As Chiyo and the leaf ninja dodged, Sakura didn't notice a clay spider crawling on the wall behind her.

"Gotcha." Deidara smirked and the clay spider jumped. Naruto sensed this through his sensory jutsu and quickly replaced Sakura with himself. "Hn… typical leaf ninja." with that, he detonated the bomb. Sakura called out the blonde's name… only for him to turn to smoke.

The leader's eyes narrowed before suddenly, a massive malevolent chakra signature appeared above them they all looked up to see Naruto on the ceiling of the cave above the statue. The blond Jinchuriki was in his three tailed form and was forming a large Rasengan in his right hand, over ten times larger than normal and colored red from the Kyuubi's chakra. Focusing all the chakra he could into his legs, he dived towards the face of the statue, reaching his target in an instant. "No!" the leader shouted as the Giant Demon Fox Rasengan slammed into the center eye of the statue and a wave of power exploded out from the impact, forcing all those physically present to shield their eyes and creating cracks in the ground surrounding the statue. The chakra holding Gaara shifted erratically as the statue-like entity roared, screaming in agony as its eye was destroyed.

Naruto looked up at all the Akatsuki members, seeing that whatever technique they were using left only their eyes visible, he searched for a second set of Sharingan, searching for an indication that Madara was indeed with the Akatsuki, but found only Itachi's. He also noticed the leader's eyes.

"_**Naruto.**_" The Kyuubi called out. Since Naruto was using his chakra, he could communicate with him. "_**That man, the leader it seems… those eyes are the Rinnegan.**_"

'_What? Are you sure?_' Naruto asked, shocked to hear the leader possessed the legendary dojutsu.

"_**Of course. There is more but we will speak of it later, focus on the task at hand.**_"

Naruto disengaged from the statue and in before he could land, it and the non-present members of the Akatsuki vanished in a massive cloud of smoke as the force holding Gaara in the air dissipated and he fell to the ground. Within the cloud, Deidara summoned a clay bird in midair, flew to and caught the falling Kazekage.

"Damn… so much for that… he could have at least made it more artistic." Deidara said.

'_Sasori, Deidara!_' the leader said through the mental link he shared with the Akatsuki members, attempting to run damage control. '_Capture the Nanabi and Kyuubi if you can, but prioritize escaping with the Ichibi._'

"Sasori." Deidara yelled as he began to fly towards the enormous hole in the cave's wall.

"You don't have to tell me. Get going with the Ichibi." Sasori yelled back, having already guessed Deidara's plan before firing hail of senbon from his hiding place in the cloud. Fu ran through hand signs as the senbon got near the group.

'_Water Style: Water Wall!_' Fu spit out a wave of water which formed a wall that blocked the hail of senbon.

Deidara summoned three small clay birds and sent them to attack Naruto. Naruto released his chakra cloak, summoned his blade and cut the lethal pieces of art with wind blades before they got close. The bisected sculptures exploded a second after being cut. "Gaara! Kakashi-sensei!"

"I know! Sakura, Fu, you stay here with Chiyo and deal with Sasori while we retrieve the Kazekage." Kakashi ordered as Naruto chased after the mad artist and Kakashi followed.

The two girls and one old woman turned to see Sasori as the cloud of smoke cleared, still in his Hiruko puppet.

"I hate waiting and making people wait, and you've just delayed our plans." Sasori said as he glared at them, the puppet hiding any expression he may have.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Fu said with a smirk. "Whatever comes next doesn't matter, since you won't make it out of here anyway."

Naruto and Kakashi leaped from the entrance created by Sakura and Naruto immediately fired three wind blades at Deidara, whose bird skillfully maneuvered around the deadly crescents of wind. The blades kept going and sliced through the stone behind the mad artist. The blond bomber flew away and Naruto and Kakashi chased after him, jumping through a canyon while following Deidara.

'_Hm… the best option here would probably be to cut and run with the Ichibi host… but if I got away, they'd go back and Sasori wouldn't stand a chance… then I'll probably get scolded for abandoning him… that aside, this is an opportunity to catch the Kyuubi, not to mention show off my art again._' Deidara thought as he flew away with the two leaf ninja in pursuit.

Back in the cave, Sakura, Chiyo and Fu stared down the rogue puppeteer. Sakura felt slightly nervous as she met Sasori's glare and took a brief glance at her allies.

'_Just by facing Sasori… and the way Fu carries herself…_' Sakura thought. '_I can tell I have the least experience here… in battle and kills…_' It wasn't even worth mentioning Chiyo, who obviously had more combat experience than even Sasori. Chiyo and Fu noticed Sakura's nervousness.

"Sakura… don't be afraid… you're not alone." Chiyo said as she walked forward. "Both of you stay back."

Chiyo pulled out several kunai connected by a thread of chakra and with a simple movement of her hands sent them flying toward Sasori. Sasori simply blocked them with his puppet's tail, though its robe was torn. The Hiruko puppet threw off it's cloak to reveal it's true form, crouched on all fours with a mask like shell with the tail coming out of the mouth and a torpedo like left arm.

"I'll capture the Nanabi, and add you and that girl to my collection, Granny Chiyo."

"A puppet? So Sasori's inside that thing?" Fu asked.

"That's right. That's Hiruko, his favorite puppet. He wears it like armor, eliminating a puppeteer's greatest weakness, their lack of close combat abilities." Chiyo replied.

"First, I'll drag out your entrails, then when I've ripped off your skin, I'll clean up all the blood." Sasori described the process of creating his human puppets. "I'll treat it so it doesn't decay, then stock it up with the rest of my puppet collection. Your addition will make 300 puppets. That is my art."

"From what we learned while we were with Jiraiya, a puppet's greatest danger is the various traps they contain. On top of that, you said that Sasori poisons all his weapons. Do you know that puppet's traps?" Fu asked

"I did… but the last time I saw it, it didn't have that shell on its back and its arm's been changed."

"So he upgraded it since he left then?" Sakura asked, briefly looking to Chiyo.

"Yes… I have no way of knowing what new attacks and defenses it holds. I had hoped that I would be able to defeat him myself, but it seems that's not the case." Chiyo said to Sakura. "The best option for destroying that puppet is your super human strength and Fu's insects. Fu's insects can clog the puppet's joints and your strength can outright destroy it. Though for that, you'll have to get close, which requires you avoid it's traps. That requires knowledge of traps and instant reflexes."

"Actually… I have a jutsu that can destroy the puppet too… but I'd have to get close to it…" Fu said. '_And I have an ace in the hole almost set up… but no reason to let him know about it…_' "… I think I'd like to save my insects for later… I sent a lot to the seal tags and I want to save as many as I can for any more powerful puppets he might have."

"You said my strength was the best bet for getting him out of the puppet?" Sakura asked. "I don't have either knowledge of traps or instant reflexes."

"And you, Fu?"

"Don't worry about me… my reflexes are good enough and I have a jutsu that can enhance them to the limit. My insects can also extract and neutralize poisons… they won't be able to deal with poison of that level completely, but I won't go down from one hit." Fu replied. Chiyo nodded and whispered something to Sakura which Fu caught. Fu smirked and Chiyo's plan restored Sakura's confidence.

"You're finally ready? Good, you've kept me waiting long enough." Sasori said gruffly.

"Don't worry, we'll be sure to kill you quickly." Chiyo said.

The trio charged and Sasori fired more Senbon. The three gracefully dodged the attacks with ease as they charged forward. Sasori fired his left arm which burst apart between them, launching countless poison senbon as shrapnel. Despite how close they were, the three effortlessly dodged all the attacks.

Sakura ran forward, dodging all the needles as she charged and Sasori raised his tail to skewer the pink haired girl, only for the tail to suddenly jam inches from her face. Sasori realized what was wrong but was powerless to stop Sakura from slamming her fist into the puppet, causing it to shatter to pieces, its tail the only part left intact.

Sasori had abandoned the puppet at the last moment; he flew through the air away from the trio, covered by Hiruko's cloak. He landed and stood, facing the trio, his body still hidden by the cloak.

"Of course… that's my grandmother." Sasori said. "No wonder that little girl dodged so easily. You were controlling her with chakra threads. Furthermore, you attached chakra threads to Hiruko's tail, but I didn't notice until it's movement was stopped. It was when you attacked with those kunai at the beginning, wasn't it?"

"Indeed. Even though I suppressed my chakra until the threads were invisible, you worked it out well."

"Well, you were the one who taught me to play with puppets in the first place, Granny Chiyo."

"Yes… but we're done playing."

"How right you are." With that, Sasori threw off his cloak and the females stood in shock at what they saw.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Kakashi continued to chase Deidara through a canyon whose walls were connected by large tree roots. The blond bomber had sent a few of his explosive sculptures back as traps and exploding birds, usually targeting Kakashi but they had destroyed them fairly easily with wind blades and kunai, but the artist hadn't given them any openings to attack.<p>

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said without turning to Kakashi.

"Hm?"

"Has your Sharingan found any weaknesses? And what kind of long range attacks do you have?"

"I haven't been able to pick up on any real weaknesses… and I'm afraid I'm lacking in long range techniques besides water jutsu. I have one all range lightning jutsu and one using my new Sharingan." Naruto turned his head to Kakashi with a quizzical look.

"New Sharingan? How…"

"I'd rather not talk about it. That technique uses so much chakra I'll be unable to move for over a week if I use it three times, but I may have little choice. What about you?"

"Not much that I can guarantee won't hit Gaara besides my wind blades. That's why I canceled my three tailed form. Though there is one that I think I can use to get Gaara away. The Beast Wave Palm." Naruto said with a smirk.

"What's that?"

"A jutsu a buddy of mine taught me. It's a blade of wind chakra."

"How's that any different?" Kakashi asked.

"I can guide the blade as long as I focus on one." Naruto smirked.

"That so?" Kakashi asked, instantly thinking of many ways such a jutsu could be useful, especially in this situation.

"Yeah. I got an idea, you up for it?"

* * *

><p>Back in Suna, the council was having a meeting. They were discussing what to do in the face of this crisis. Kankuro sat where his brother usually did as he was the only one aside from his little brother to have faced the intruders and survived.<p>

"How long must we wait for Gaara to return? To have our Kazekage abducted doesn't look well to the other countries." one councilor said. "Also, did you not say Sasori of the Red Sand? If the other villages hear of this, it will be a total disgrace."

"If they discover we don't know the location of the Kazekage, other nations may again interfere. We need to elect a new Kazekage for the sake of the village's stability."

"It hasn't been decided Gaara's not returning." Baki said.

"Well… it would be better for the village if he didn't return at all…" the council member stated and Kankuro glared at the man.

"What are you saying?" Baki asked, suppressing his anger at the man.

"Gaara is the Ichibi's host… he is an unstable monster." the council member said calmly. "We thought making him Kazekage would make him easy to control but… he may go berserk again. He's a failed experiment and a burden on this village. He is such a failure even his father, the Fourth Kazekage, ordered his assassination. The youth do not know of this and there are those who respect him…" as he said this, Kankuro stood up and walked towards him, overcome with rage at the man for believing his brother was a monster. "but most of the village still fear him." he glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Kankuro standing beside him before the puppeteer suddenly grabbed him by the collar.

"Just try saying something like that again. Even if you're my superior I won't stand for it." Kankuro said angrily, having every intention of carrying out his threat.

"Stop, Kankuro! We are before the Kazekage statues, this is a sacred place!" Baki yelled.

Another councilor, one who didn't see Gaara as a monster, crossed his arms as he looked at the teen. "You have every right to be angry, but there is also a reason behind what he said. The real question is not whether or not to rely on Gaara." he began and Kankuro let go of the other's collar and began to walk back to his seat. "Something like this happened a long time ago. The Third Kazekage was abducted, there was a lot of guesswork about what happened, war broke out and our relations with other countries suffered. Had we not been so desperate to find the Third and paid more attention to the village's safety, that wouldn't have happened."

"Then why didn't you do that?" Kankuro asked.

"The Third was by far the strongest Kazekage… and his body was never found." Kankuro listened in silence as the councilor looked up at the Third's statue. "That such a person… could be defeated so easily was thought impossible. To avoid repeating that situation, we must put the village first."

* * *

><p>As Deidara flew through the air, he glanced back at Naruto and Kakashi. So far the only good that had come from the situation was that he led them away from Sasori and the others. He had no doubt his fellow artist could deal with those three himself. After all, Sasori was stronger than him and his artistry never failed… except against Itachi. That thought made him want to kill the Copy Ninja all the more. Even if he wasn't an Uchiha, he still had one of those thrice damned eyes.<p>

'_This may not have been such a good idea… I'm almost out of explosive clay… I can't use my C2 without my right arm… and the Jinchuriki's stronger than I thought… still, if I get rid of Kakashi, I should be able to handle him…_'

Deidara smirked as he finished his newest creation, a grasshopper-like sculpture. He threw the sculpture and unlike the others, instead of growing it multiplied, creating two dozen explosive pieces of art. The sculptures landed and hopped across the roots and the pair of leaf ninja separated to escape, however, it becomes clear Kakashi is their target. The grasshoppers jump at Kakashi who ducked under some of the roots in an attempt to push forward, but the grasshoppers had cut him off. Now surrounded, Kakashi can do nothing as the grasshoppers jumped at him, covering him before detonating.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled as his sensei was caught in the explosion. Deidara smirked as he flew down and hovered in place.

"Finally. You know, I'm surprised you're all trying so hard to save this guy. Most Jinchuriki are hated by their villages and don't care about what happens to others. The Jinchuriki we already caught, Han from my old village, no one lifted a finger to save him." Deidara said with a slight chuckle "Just can't ignore each other can you… yeah? Soon, all of you will share his fate, understand." Deidara said, trying to get a rise out of his fellow blond.

"You're the one who doesn't understand. We're not all like that and it won't be that easy." Naruto replied with an icy glare.

"Is tha-" Deidara was cut off when suddenly; a crescent shaped wind blade from underneath him cut the head off of his bird. "What?" the artist yelled as his bird began to fall out of the sky. A shadow clone of Naruto that had been following underground had taken his stop as an opportunity to separate him from Gaara. Naruto made a hand sign and created three shadow clones who grabbed the bird's head from out of the air. Deidara began to create another bird only for his honed senses to warn him of danger. He jumped backwards off his falling bird and a moment later, Kakashi burst through the birds back with his Lightning Blade, the deadly mass of lightning missing the Akatsuki member by mere inches. Just as he was about to release his bird, a hand grabbed the back of his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto behind him in midair.

'_Shit! Dancing Leaf Shadow!_' Naruto kicked him higher into the air. Just as he stopped ascending, another Naruto appeared in front of him, slammed his fist into his chest and began pummeling him in midair before delivering a powerful kick to his chest, sending him into a tree.

The mad artist recovered and opened his eyes just in time to see the Jinchuriki closing in with a Rasengan. His eyes widened just before the attack plowed into his chest, only for his body to turn to clay. Naruto looked in the direction he sensed him in as Kakashi joined him and the blond bomber rose back into the air on another bird.

"Damn… Sasori's right… I should stop underestimating my opponents. Well, I can't leave without a Jinchuriki, and since the Ichibi's nowhere in sight, I guess I'll have to catch you, won't I?"

* * *

><p>The three women, two young one old, looked on, speechless at what they saw. In spite of the fact that Sasori was in his mid thirties, he still looked like a teenager.<p>

"But, do you really think it will be that easy, Granny Chiyo?" Sasori asked with a serene look on his face.

"Lady Chiyo, is this… Sasori?" Sakura asked.

'_What is this… he hasn't aged at all!_' Chiyo thought.

"I'll show you all something special… killing him for my collection gave me a hard time…" Sasori said as he reached into his robe and pulled out a scroll, which unrolled to reveal the kanji for 3. "That's why he's one of my favorites." With that, he summoned the scrolls contents and Chiyo looked on in shock, now seeing how far her grandson had fallen.

"That's… it couldn't be…"

"This is… one of his human puppets?" Fu asked, wary that she heard it was one of his favorites while Sakura looked to Chiyo.

"Yes… it's a human puppet… but to be more exact… it's the Third Kazekage." Chiyo said shocking the two teens while Sasori got into a stance with his puppet behind him.

"The Third… Kazekage?" Sakura asked.

"It's been twenty years since he suddenly disappeared from the village." Sakura and Fu looked to her in shock as they worked out what happened. "Sasori… you…" the elder said angrily, glaring at her grandson.

"For a retired old woman, you're still quite skilled." Sasori complimented, obviously unconcerned with his grandmother's opinion.

"Even retired and near death, I have too many regrets to die yet… my grandson… you've not only fallen to the level of a mere criminal, but you've betrayed your village and gone after the Kazekage three times!"

"Three times…?" Sakura asked while Fu glared at Sasori. When she was a Taki ninja, even though she hated the place, she wouldn't have betrayed it. To have sunk as low as to attack three of your village's leaders showed how far the puppeteer had fallen.

"It was Orochimaru who killed the Fourth, Gaara's father, but it was you who guided him. And now with Gaara and even the Third…"

"Hey, I don't know about the Fourth." Sasori denied. "It was my subordinate who guided him. I was originally partnered with Orochimaru in Akatsuki… we worked well together." Sasori said and Sakura's eyes widened as Fu turned to the pink haired girl, knowing how she would react.

"You… you know about Orochimaru…" Sakura almost growled as she glared at the rogue puppeteer. If he was Orochimaru's partner, then he must know the most about him out of the Akatsuki and the more they know about him, the more they know about Sasuke.

"Well, let's begin." Sasori said. The puppet charged forward and Chiyo quickly pulled Sakura back using the threads as Fu jumped back. Blades suddenly extended from Third Kazekage's arm. The puppet swiped its arm at the girl but Chiyo blocked using Hiruko's tail, which shattered. The Third's left arm pointed to them and opened, revealing numerous seals which released countless puppet arms towards Sakura. Fu summoned and threw a kunai with an explosive tag and ran through hand signs.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" the kunai was duplicated hundreds of time and the copies lodged themselves in the mass of arms before detonating, destroying them in a massive explosion as Sakura reached Chiyo. Sakura got up and took a hard look at Sasori from behind Chiyo.

"You…" Sakura began as she glared at Sasori. "I want you to tell me everything you know about Orochimaru… I'll beat it out of you if I have to!" Sakura yelled.

"… What a noisy little girl you brought along with you." Sasori said.

"… Fu… get behind me." Chiyo beckoned and after a moment, the green haired girl joined Sakura behind her. "I still have some lessons to teach you, Sasori." Chiyo said as she unraveled a pair of scrolls to reveal Sasori's first puppets.

"Ah… them." Sasori said.

"Yes… your first puppets… the father and the mother." Chiyo replied.

"What are you planning to do with those? I created those puppets, I already know their secrets." Sasori said. As they stared each other down, preparing to clash again, Chiyo thought back to when she used to watch her grandson play with the puppets, manipulating them to hug him. He created them in the likeness of his parents, who were killed by Konoha's White Fang when he was still just a child.

The two puppets drew their weapons, a sword and a long kunai covered segmented whip as a saw extended from the Third Kazekage's detached the ruined left arm and a saw extended out of its cloak to replace it. The three puppets clashed in an awe inspiring show of speed, showing just what Suna's puppeteers were truly capable of as they attacked, blocked, and countered too fast for the untrained eye to follow, neither side gaining any ground on the other.

"A-amazing." Sakura said in awe.

"Yeah… I didn't know they could move that fast…" Fu said.

In a few moments, the puppet show ended, the three puppets separated, their weapons ruined by the high speed clash.

"Let's get serious, shall we, Grandma Chiyo?" Sasori said as he made a hand sign. The puppets mouth opened and a large mass of black poured poured out and levitated around the puppet. Sakura was reminded of Gaara's sand as she watched. "The jutsu that made the Sandaime the strongest of them all… it's time to put an end to this, Grandma Chiyo."

"What is that?" Fu asked.

"The Iron Sand. The most feared weapon in Suna. The Kazekage used his bloodline, which converted his chakra into magnetic force to control iron powder in an imitation of the Shukaku's sand."

"That's why Sasori targeted him and turned him into a puppet? To get this power?" Fu asked with a frown and Chiyo nodded.

"Sakura, Fu, get out of here." Chiyo said, surprising the teens. "This is beyond what I thought. There's nothing you can do at this point."

"Are you kidding? I spent the last three years training to fight these guys, I'm not just going to leave you to get killed." Fu said angrily.

"You should really listen to your elders." Sasori said as the iron sand formed into countless small lumps. '_Iron Sand Drizzle!_' The countless bullets of iron powder fired at the trio. Chiyo activated the chakra shield of the father and had the mother pull Sakura out of the way as Fu dodged on her own with a Body Flicker, but the powder worked it's way into and clogged the puppets' rendering them useless. "You've changed them since I left I see…" Sasori said, the chakra shields were added after he left. Sasori chuckled as he looked on. "You should know that jutsu is unblock-able, but you were too concerned with getting that little girl away, huh?"

"You shouldn't look down on us because we're young." Fu said as she made hand signs. Her ace was long since set up and according to what had been said, this was Sasori's strongest puppet. It was now the best time to use it.

"Fu, stop, you can't face him head on!" Chiyo warned.

"If you think that, just sit back and watch!" Fu said as she completed her jutsu and lightning coursed over her body. '_Who said I have any plans to face him head on?_' With that, she charged forward.

"You should listen to your elders." Sasori smirked as he created another iron sand drizzle and various spears of the powder. His eyes widened as Fu weaved her way around every attack effortlessly, slowing her approach only slightly. '_How?_' he thought as he watched her jump over three spears and twist her body in midair to avoid several bullets and ducking the moment she landed to avoid a spear strong and fast enough to pierce through the wall of the base. '_Wait, this is… I see… she's flowing lightning chakra through her own body to stimulate her nervous system, giving her instantaneous reflexes. It's basically a weaker version of the jutsu invented by the Third Raikage.'_

Fu's original intent with the technique had actually been that, the Lightning Style Armor. She had come up with it from hearing Jiraiya say lightning could be used to enhance speed and reflexes and after she mastered her elements, she had eventually come up with the idea to push that concept to its absolute limit. She had been a bit dismayed when she heard the Third Raikage came up with it first, but that didn't stop her from working on it. Right now, the jutsu was far from complete. It granted no defensive powers and little enhancement to strength. But her speed was significantly enhanced and her reflexes were pushed to their limits.

As Fu closed the distance, Sasori prepared a counter, only for his eyes to widen slightly as another Fu burst from the ground behind his puppet and moved to attack. Sasori quickly directed his puppet to destroy the duplicate as he prepared to counter the real one with the Iron Sand, an error that would cost him dearly. As the Third Kazekage extended blades from both its sleeves and cut the clone, which had been inches from completing its attack, the clone dispersed into insects. Much to Sasori's dismay, the insects quickly latched onto and cut his chakra strings. Now without its puppeteer's control, the Third Kazekage fell forward as Fu created a Rasengan in both her hands as the lightning faded.

It was her jutsu's other major flaw. She found it was impossible to use any jutsu aside from the Body Flicker or techniques that didn't use hand signs and were pure lightning chakra manipulation while channeling lightning through herself and unless she was going to attack with taijutsu, kenjutsu, her insects or one of the two techniques she had that were pure lightning manipulation, neither of which could destroy the puppet, she would have to cancel the technique to use anything else. She couldn't even use Okibi no Yaiba's abilities, though she could flow her lightning chakra through the sword while the jutsu was active.

Chiyo and Sakura's eyes widened and Sasori looked on impassively as Fu slammed the Rasengan in her left hand into the falling puppet's chest. It was too much of a threat to leave around even with her insects covering it. Sasori watched with slight irritation as his favorite puppet shattered to pieces and it's cloak obscured his view. When the cloak was out of his way, Fu was gone. He sensed a presence behind him and barely managed to dodge, jumping away as Fu reappeared above him and slammed her second Rasengan into the ground where he stood only a moment ago, creating an explosion of dust and debris. Three swarms of insects flew out of the cloud toward Sasori but, surprisingly, a pipe extended from his hand and fire spewed out, incinerating the insects and tearing through the dust cloud.

"Fu!" Chiyo yelled, worried with Sakura sharing her sentiment only for the cloud to disperse to reveal Fu holding Okibi no Yaiba in a reverse grip, the blade pointing to the ground. The sword absorbed the flames and protected her. The moment Sasori let up Fu flipped her sword back up and swung it at the puppeteer, unleashing a dragon of fire Sasori dodged.

"How?" Sasori asked, irritated. "I never saw you create that clone."

"That's the beauty of insect clones." Fu said with a smirk. "They don't need hand signs and I can create them away from myself, as long as I have the insects set up before hand."

"So you released those insects before you entered the base?"

"Not quite." Fu replied. "There was no need to; those were the insects I used to destroy your seal tags."

Sasori looked over his three opponents. '_That it's drawn out this much and I've lost both my favorite puppets… this is beyond annoying. I'll acknowledge these little girls are forces to be reckoned with. It would be useless to use another human puppet now. It seems I've no choice…_' Sasori thought as he began to remove his cloak. Sakura and Fu were left speechless by what they saw as Chiyo's eyes narrowed.

"Wha… what is…" Sakura began.

"He hasn't aged a day since he left… this is why." Chiyo said.

"He… turned himself into a human puppet?" Fu asked in shock.

Sasori stood on a wire coming out of his stomach, his puppet body revealed for all to see. Two poles came from his hips, each with five blades, several scrolls were attached to his back, and his eyes had gone wide, giving him a maniacal expression. There was also a strange object where his heart should be with the kanji for scorpion written on it.

"It's been a long time… since I've used myself." Sasori said.

* * *

><p>Team Gai and Pakkun were traveling at top speed through the forest. The four man team was still about twenty minutes away from the Akatsuki base.<p>

"Neji, do you see anything?" Gai asked.

"Yes. Kakashi's team has engaged the Akatsuki. Sakura, along with an old woman I assume is Chiyo and a girl with enormous chakra reserves who must be Fu are facing… I'm not sure." Neji said as he looked into the base with his Byakugan. "It has a human form but it seems to be an animated puppet with chakra coming from a single point."

"They said Sasori turned people into puppets… he couldn't have turned himself into one could he?" Tenten asked, eyes wide.

"Normally I'd say no, but, it seems most likely." Neji replied.

"What about Naruto, Kakashi and Gaara?" Gai asked.

"Kakashi and Naruto are facing the other Akatsuki in the forest about half a kilometer away."

"And Gaara?"

"He's alive, but unconscious. He's being guarded by three of Naruto's shadow clones."

"Right! Let's hurry, they may need our aid." Gai said.

"Yes, Gai-sensei. Let us make it there in five minutes and if we cannot-" Lee said.

"Now's really not the time for that Lee!" Tenten scolded as they sped up.

* * *

><p>Chiyo and Sakura ducked behind boulders to avoid Sasori's flames as the living puppet dodged Fu's own fire attacks. In a few moments his stored up fire ran out and the scroll on his back disintegrated. Sasori then switched to concentrated blasts of water strong enough to cut through the stone effortlessly. Sakura and Chiyo jumped out from their now useless hiding places and the three females dodged the jets of water that tore through the stone walls of the base. Parts of the ceiling began to collapse without its support as the battle waged on. Fu resealed her sword and created a dozen shadow clones and sent them on the offensive to give them some time to breath.<p>

When the last clone fell, Sasori turned his attacks back on his opponents only to be slightly startled as the water was ripped from its path. It flowed around Fu and formed a dragon which quickly sped towards the living puppet. Sasori jumped into the air before the blades coming from his hips spun like propellers, allowing him to fly through the air. Fu Body Flickered to Chiyo and ran through hand signs as Sasori sped towards them intent on using the blades to cut them to pieces.

"Water Style: Water Shockwave!" a vortex of water surrounded her and Chiyo, much to her and Sasori's shock. Sasori disengaged his approach and flew away as the vortex rose into the air and then collapsed, forming a wave that followed him. He flew through one of the holes in the ceiling and landed on top of the base. He watched as the water flowed out of the base before jumping back inside to avoid kunai thrown by Chiyo. As he landed and prepared another attack, Sakura charged towards him. He prepared to launch the coil in his stomach only for three copies of Fu to emerge from puddles of water and subdue him with water whips. Sasori can do nothing but watch as Sakura charged forward and punched him in the chest. The impact reduced Sasori's body to pieces flying through the air. The battle seemingly over, Fu's water clones dispelled.

"We… we did it." Sakura said with a smile, proud that she had participated in the defeat of an S-class ninja. Both Chiyo and Fu smiled as well and Chiyo began to say something before their eyes widened. The scattered pieces of Sasori levitated in the air and he started to pull himself together as Sakura skipped back to join Fu and Chiyo.

Chiyo pulled out a scroll, her final trump card. "This is a jutsu I forbade myself. I thought I'd never use it again, but it seems wasn't to be." she said seriously as she unraveled the scroll and ten puppets wearing white cloaks emerged from seals on it.

"Impressive, Grandma. The strength of a puppeteer is measured by the number of puppets he can control." Sasori said as Sakura and Fu looked to the old woman in awe. "The Finger By Finger technique. I've heard rumors about it… it's said to have taken down an entire castle. White Secret Technique: Chikamtsu's Ten Puppets. The very first puppeteer's Enzaemon's ten masterpieces." Sasori said before using a chakra thread to pull a out the fourth scroll on his back and threw it into the air above him. It unraveled as he opened the compartment on the right side of his chest. "That is a considerable amount of puppets but…" roughly one hundred puppets wearing red cloaks emerged from the scroll as chakra threads emerged from Sasori's chest and connected to them. "With this, I took down an entire country." Sakura, Chiyo and Fu looked on in amazement that he could control this many puppets. "How'll I explain this… that it took me this long to defeat an old woman and two little girls, even if one is a Jinchuriki… I even had to use my last trick." Sasori said as he placed his palm to his face. "Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets. I'll show you it's power."

"I really don't like using tactics like this…" Fu said. "You know… using a technique like that here is a major mistake…"

"Oh… and why's that?" Sasori asked.

"You're using a technique that relies on overwhelming force on a Jinchuriki." Fu replied with a smirk before forming a hand sign. In an instant, fifty shadow clones appeared, half of them forming water swords, many of the others forming Rasengans and Sasori's eyes narrowed.

"Sakura… you should stay back." Chiyo said and Sakura looked to her in shock. "Fu has her clones and long range jutsu… but you'll have to fight at close range. If you get hit by even a single attack…"

"I'll be fine." Sakura interjected. "When we made an antidote for Kankuro we made three extras. That aside, Fu's insects can extract and neutralize poisons, though they can't completely cure it. Even if we run out of the antidote, our lives won't be in danger from the poison."

"Very well, then prepare yourselves. This will be the final act." Chiyo said.

Sasori's puppets charged and Sakura, Chiyo's puppets and Fu's clones retaliated. Sakura's punches shattered the puppets with a single strike, Fu's clones took down four puppets on average before taking a hit and Chiyo's masterpiece puppets easily wiped out large numbers of the offending puppets. One rammed its head into one the chest of one of Sasori's puppets before several whips extended from holes in its head, piercing the puppet before it and skewering several others. Three of the masterpiece puppets stood in a triangle formation, one on the other two's shoulders before opening their mouths, revealing mechanisms marked with the kanji for Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and unleashed the Three Treasure Suction Crush, a tornado which drew in and destroyed countless puppets, though the sheer number of opposing puppets soon began to jam it.

Fu took to the side of the battlefield, getting Sakura and Chiyo's puppets out of the range of her attack as she ran through hand signs. Just as she completed the jutsu, her clones got out of the way.

"Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!" an enormous wave of water, strong enough to hollow out the ground surges forward, wiping out all the puppets in its path. Sasori raised many of the puppets out of the way but around twenty were lost in that attack. As the number of puppets dwindled, Sasori focused on the remaining puppets making them more dangerous, but between Fu's clones and Chiyo's puppets, not to mention Sakura's attacks and the fact that Fu could easily make more clones, he was obviously at a disadvantage. It only got worse for him when several clones began to use Water Style: Liquid Bullets and fired balls of water capable of destroying his puppets in one hit. He made an attempt to target Chiyo but the puppet he sent to her was intercepted by a Rasengan. As the battle waged on, Fu sent a few insects to Sasori to find out how he survived Sakura's punch. Though he noticed and destroyed most of them, some were able to return to her and relay the truth about Sasori's heart.

"Fu, help me cover Sakura." Chiyo yelled.

"Right." Fu replied as she created ten more clones which ran to aid the girl while she summoned her sword and began destroying puppets with fire blasts.

"Sakura, go for Sasori. Use this." Chiyo ordered as she directed one of her puppets to give Sakura a ball, the compressed form of the Lion Headed Kannon (Kannon is the bodhisattva of compassion). Sakura charged forward, the ten clones, all armed with dual water swords and one of Chiyo's puppets, armed with two large swords guarded the pink haired girl as she charged, slicing any puppets that tried to attack in half. As soon as she was in range, she threw the ball at Sasori and it grew into a man-sized lion's head with numerous large fangs and its mouth wide open and a seal on its back. Too fast to dodge, it hit Sasori dead on and pinned him to the wall. All his puppets fell to the ground, now completely useless.

"It is over, Sasori. That sealing jutsu completely suppresses all chakra. You can't even make a thread." Chiyo said. Fu however, knowing the truth about Sasori, reactivated her lightning chakra flow and looked around the battlefield searching for the real Sasori. She found him, his heart having implanted itself into a puppet behind the elder, intent on finishing her from behind with a sword. Fu managed to Body Flicker to her and parry the attack with her own blade and Sasori jumped back to avoid a counter. Whatever Sasori had planned after that was unknown as Chiyo quickly called back the Mother and Father puppets and had them impale his core from both sides with swords.

"Now you cannot move, I am certain. A part of your real body is needed to control chakra. That's your weak point. That piece of your chest that uses chakra." Chiyo said.

"Heh… to think I was beaten by one of my targets, a normal little girl and an old woman… how pitiful." Sasori said. "You, girl…" he looked to Sakura, much to her surprise. "I'll give you a reward for defeating me… but all I have is information that would interest you. You wanted to know about Orochimaru right? Go to the Tenchi Bridge in Kusa at noon ten days from now."

"What are you…?" Sakura began.

"I was supposed to meet a spy in Orochimaru's ranks there… but I won't… be able…" Sasori's movement came to a halt and the three puppets fell forward lifelessly.

"I'm sorry about your grandson, Lady Chiyo." Fu said.

"It's alright… my beloved grandson… died long ago." she said even as she thought sadly on his childhood. Fu didn't seem convinced by her words but just as she was about to say something else, she felt five presences approaching. Moments later, Team Gai along with Pakkun entered through the ruined entrance to the base and all but Neji looked in shock at the destruction and the countless puppets that littered the battlefield.

"Of course… now back up arrives…" Fu deadpanned.

"Is it over already?" Tenten asked.

"Yeah, it's over here." Sakura said. "Neji, what's happening with Naruto and Kakashi?"

"They are fighting the remaining Akastuki… but he's missing an arm. It seems the battle is just about over there too." Neji replied.

"And Gaara?" Fu asked as she sealed the puppet containing Sasori's heart in a scroll.

"He's fine, unconscious but alive and hidden, guarded by clones."

"Come on." Chiyo said. "We should hurry, ninja of this caliber can never be underestimated." with that, the group took off, Chiyo spared her grandson's original puppet body, still pinned to the wall of the cave, one final glance before she left.

* * *

><p>Several clones of Naruto inhaled a massive amount of air, puffing out their chests while doing so before striking their stomachs several times.<p>

'_Wind Style: Air Bullet!_' each impact on their stomachs launched a blast of wind at the mad artist, who maneuvered his bird around them before creating several small birds which were soon destroyed by kunai from Kakashi.

Deidara sensed something beneath him and had his bird quickly flap its right wing, dodging to the side to avoid three air blades.

"Is that all you can do?" Deidara asked. Deidara made a hand sign and several clay grasshoppers jumped to where Naruto had hidden himself but he sunk into the ground to evade them. Before Deidara could make another move, he was distracted as he was forced to dodge more air bullets.

The artist smirked as he dodged, his clay spiders had finally reached the clones. They detonated and the clones were destroyed in the blast. Naruto emerged from the ground and launched several wind blades with his sword, but this time created one with his left hand too. The Beast Wave Palm. It looked different from the typical wind blade, being blue instead of white. Deidara once again avoided the attacks and then saw Kakashi emerge from the ground and jump high into the air.

"Hn… saves me the trouble of finding you." Deidara said before his eyes widened, Kakashi created a mass of lightning in his right hand and launched it at Deidara, the lightning taking the form of a wolf as it flew through the air. His bird was caught in the attack and Deidara jumped into the air to avoid being electrocuted but before he could make another move, the Beast Wave Palm came down, having turned around above him while he was distracted by Kakashi and sliced off his remaining arm.

"Urgh! Shit!" Deidara plummeted to the ground and Naruto jumped into the air and impaled him with his sword, only for him to turn to clay.

'_Now I can't use jutsu… and Itachi said that kid's a sensor… escape's impossible now…_' Deidara thought as he planned to either go out with a bang or try to use his self-destructing clone as he hid on the branch of a tree. He never got the chance to try either.

Naruto and Fu discovered that, to most non-Jinchuriki, and Jinchuriki in large enough quantities when uncontrolled or if it was foreign, Biju chakra acted like poison, it's extremely painful and if used correctly, it can cause temporary paralysis to most. When Naruto had used Dancing Leaf Shadow, he placed a seal containing a small amount of the Kyuubi's chakra on the back of Deidara's neck which combined with the seal itself would be enough to paralyze him for a few seconds, more than enough time to end a battle between ninja. Naruto made a hand sign with his left hand to activate the seal.

Deidara suddenly cried out in pain as the Kyuubi's chakra surged into his body from the seal and black marks spread from the back of his neck. That was all the opportunity Naruto needed as he slashed his sword, creating a crescent of wind which bisected the artist and sliced through the trees in front of and behind him. Deidara coughed up blood as his body fell in two pieces to the ground.

'_Damn… I didn't even get to complete my masterpiece or kill Itachi or Orochimaru… didn't think I'd die in such an inartistic way…_' the young man's visible eye glazed over as the life left him, he spent his last moments cursing the Akatsuki for dragging him into their organization.

Naruto, knowing it was over, walked over to Deidara's corpse as he sent a clone to retrieve Deidara's severed arm. The blond sealed the Akatsuki member's corpse into a scroll.

"You ok, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto asked.

"Yeah… good thing you had those long range jutsu… the only thing I had that could have done the job was that Mangekyo Sharingan jutsu I mentioned earlier… and if I used that, I'd be in the hospital for a week."

"Come on, let's go check on Gaara."

* * *

><p>Team Gai, Sakura, Fu and Chiyo sped through the forest, hoping to aid their comrades in the battle when Neji's eyes widened before he deactivated his Byakugan.<p>

"Okay, we should be just about…" Gai began.

"It's over already." the Hyuga prodigy said, getting the others attention. "The other Akatsuki has been defeated."

"What? After all this we were unable to help at all?" Lee asked, disappointed in himself.

"Don't say that." Fu said. "The Akatsuki must have done something to hold you up, right?"

"Yeah, they sent some fish faced freak with massive chakra reserves, but something strange happened when Gai-sensei beat him." Tenten said.

"He turned into someone else right? Apparently it's called the Shape Shifting Technique. It takes a portion of your chakra and uses it to turn someone else into a copy of you. We had to fight a copy of Itachi Uchiha." Gai seemed to lose himself in thought as he heard Itachi's name.

"Wait, you mean that was only a fraction of his chakra?" Neji asked in shock. "The last time I saw chakra like that was from Naruto."

"Yeah… that was probably Kisame Hoshigaki. Those chakra levels are why he's been called the 'Biju without a Tail'. Anyway, if you hadn't been there, we would have had to fight them both and wouldn't have made it in time."

"He seemed to recognize you Gai-sensei." Lee said.

"Of course, now I remember. When Itachi came to Konoha looking for Naruto, he brought that guy as back up." Gai said.

"You remembered him through Itachi? How can you forget someone like that?" Fu asked.

Before he could answer, Naruto and Kakashi joined them.

"Ha… so you didn't need our help with him after all? As expected from my eternal rival and one of Jiraiya's pupils." Gai said with his sparkling smile and gave a thumbs up.

"Hm? You say something Gai?" Kakashi said, exasperating Gai.

"Where is Gaara?" Chiyo asked.

"Just up ahead." Naruto said before leading them. They all decided to catch up and introduce themselves back at Suna.

* * *

><p>Back at the ruins of the Akatsuki base, Zetsu emerged from the ground. Normally, he'd have waited a bit longer to begin retrieval, but after they took one of the sacrifices corpses, he was ordered to take care of it immediately. He looked around at the remains of the puppets and the damage to the base.<p>

"Looks like it was some fight. **Focus on the task at hand.**" the plant man walked to Sasori's remains, still pinned to the wall. "So that was Sasori's real body? **It doesn't have his core… they must have taken it…**" Zetsu looked through the rubble for a few minutes until he found Sasori's ring. Seeing nothing else of interest and bring unable to eat the puppets, he sunk back into the ground.

* * *

><p>In the plains of the Land of Rivers, Gaara began to stir. He recalled was saving his village from being crushed by the sand he had used to shield it from the blond Akatsuki member's attack, the next thing he remembered was the unimaginable pain he felt as his Biju was ripped from him. As he opened his eyes, he was shocked to see Naruto place a hand on his shoulder.<p>

"Naruto?" Gaara asked, his eyes wide. He then looked around and what he saw left him speechless. A crowd of ninja from his village, the same village that once hated and feared him, surrounding him along with the other leaf ninja, Chiyo, Ebizo, Temari and Kankuro. Many of them were smiling, some were actually cheering that their Kazekage was alright. There were even a few crying tears of joy. Fu was smiling warmly as she watched how her fellow Jinchuriki was treated. "This is…"

"Everyone came to save you." Naruto said with a smile.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's the end of chapter 9. <strong>

**About the Giant Three Tailed Demon Fox Rasengan, it's about half as powerful as the Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan that Jiraiya uses in Sage Mode… and the Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan is powerful enough that if it exploded, it would hollow out a mountain according to the wiki.**

**Also, just to let you know, I'm might use the Naruto: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow movie as filler later. Like I said at the beginning of my story, it largely follows the manga. Aside from the: protect the waterfall village mission, none of the fillers or movies have occurred in my story so if I do use it, I don't want anyone saying that it already happened. It's the only part one movie I think would still work in part 2.**

**Please review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, here's chapter 10.**

**One of my reviewers noted that this story is very idealistic, too much so for his liking. I would like to say that though things are going well now, there will be tragedies down the road.**

**Also, for anyone curious about my Rinnegan Naruto story, I haven't posted it because I'm rewriting the chapter.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p>It was a usual sunny day in Konoha. Tsunade sat in her office and her assistant and first apprentice, Shizune stood before her. Naruto had sent their report via a messenger toad which traveled directly to Konoha by dispelling itself and traveling through the portal that linked the village with Mt. Myoboku. As Tsunade read the report, after a certain point, her eyes widened and continued to widen further until she reached the end. Moments later, she placed the report on her desk and sighed as she rubbed her temples.<p>

"What's wrong, Lady Tsunade? Did something happen on the mission?" Shizune asked worriedly.

"Not exactly. The mission went off without a hitch. The Kazekage was rescued and both Akatsuki were defeated. Team Kakashi and Team Gai will return to Konoha in three days." Tsunade answered.

"Then what's wrong?"

"… The Akatsuki members were using some form of projection technique so all their members could be present to aid with the extraction. The technique left their eyes visible… and Naruto discovered the apparent leader has the Rinnegan." Shizune's eyes widened in shock.

"The… Rinnegan? Are you sure? I mean, aren't they just a legend?"

"No… the Senju clan has some knowledge of those eyes. They're real and going by the description in the message, the brat's right." Tsunade replied with a sigh before turning to the window. "Good news is, between this and the Kazekage's abduction, we may be able to appeal to Kumo for an alliance." Kumo didn't seem particularly worried about the Akatsuki because their people had faith that their Jinchuriki could defend themselves against a group of criminals, even S-rank ones. This incident, together with the fact that they possess the Rinnegan, may prove to them that the Akatsuki are a bigger threat than they realize. Working with them on this might also go a long way towards repairing relations between their villages and could even be the first step towards a true alliance between them. Aid from Kiri and Iwa were completely out of the question at the moment. According to Jiraiya's intel, Kiri currently had no Jinchuriki. An alliance with Iwa wouldn't happen for obvious reasons.

Speaking of Iwagakure, she knew that there was another problem this affair had opened up. Even though the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki of Both Scales, would have killed his former apprentice without hesitation if ever given the chance, he and his village still held Deidara in high regard for his abilities, kind of like Kumo and their Gold and Silver brothers, and would no doubt look into the incident and investigate his killer. When she thought about it, having Minato's son trained by both Kakashi, his only surviving student and Jiraiya, his sensei, may not have been the best idea. Put that together with his resemblance to his father and it likely wouldn't take two seconds for Onoki and many others in Iwa to make the connection and then the shit would hit the fan. While Onoki and most of Iwa wouldn't make an attempt on his life, either because they realize that it's pointless to get back at a dead man or just because they don't want to risk starting a war, there would certainly be those who would be like Sasuke, consumed by the thirst for revenge and willing to sacrifice anything, even the well being of their village, for that purpose or those who would fear he might become a second Yellow Flash (such fears were not unfounded, considering he was learning the technique) and would want to kill him before he became too strong, believing it was for the good of Iwa. That was a disaster waiting to happen. There were also many Iwa missing-nin who had a grudge against Minato and if any of them were to find out Naruto was his son, they wouldn't hesitate to make a move. Not to mention all the other problems it was going to cause her grandson figure once his heritage became common knowledge, especially once he mastered the Hiraishin.

"Lady Tsunade…" Shizune began and the Sannin turned to her. "…Was it really a good idea… to send Naruto and Fu, who are also Jinchuriki, to save Gaara from the Akatsuki? Why would you take such a risk?"

"Because they're Jinchuriki. Only a Jinchuriki can truly understand a Jinchuriki. That aside, they're the only S-class ninja in the village aside from myself, Jiraiya and maybe the elders. On top of that, Naruto has a power that makes everyone start to believe in him." She explained as she wrote a message and gave it to the messenger toad, who disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Naruto had sent a request to share their knowledge on Akatsuki and Madara with Suna, to which she agreed. It would be a bad idea to keep such knowledge from allies after all. In a while, Naruto would re-summon the toad to retrieve the reply.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, the reply had been received and Naruto, Fu, Kakashi, Baki, the honored siblings and the sand siblings were together in Gaara's office. Gaara sat at his desk while the others stood. The Shukaku was furious that most of his chakra had been taken and had, for now, left Gaara alone while he slept and recovered his chakra.<p>

"I do not recall meeting you before." Gaara said to Fu.

"Well, I was transferred to Konoha and only officially joined recently. I'm Fu, Jinchuriki of the Nanabi. Nice to meet you." Fu said, Kankuro's eyes widened, everyone else in the room already knew except Gaara, who didn't visibly react. Ebizo had heard from Chiyo after the mission.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Gaara responded cordially. "May I ask how you came to Konoha?" Fu told them the short version. That her village gave her away, she had traveled with Jiraiya until returning and that she was Naruto's girlfriend. "I see… I'm glad you both found someone who makes you happy."

"Thanks, oh, congratulations on becoming Kazekage by the way… you realize you're basically living my dream?" Naruto said with a smile. "I'm glad to see you've done so well. You've come a long way since we first met."

"I owe it all to you." Gaara replied. "Were it not for you, I wouldn't have understood the importance of bonds and would still be living in darkness."

"He has a way with people, doesn't he?" Fu asked.

"Ok, you guys can catch up before we leave. We have some things to discuss about the Akatsuki." Kakashi said.

"Ah, right." Fu said as she reached into her pocket, pulled out two scrolls and handed them to Gaara. "Here are the remains of Yura and Sasori."

"I still can't believe he was a traitor." Baki said with a furrowed brow. "To think he was a sleeper agent all this time… and that Shape Shifting Technique… the Akatsuki have truly powerful jutsu at their disposal."

"Yes… and it only gets worse, I'm afraid…" Kakashi began.

"What do you mean?" Gaara said with narrowed eyes.

"When we reached the base, we were able to get a good look at some of the Akatsuki member's eyes through that projection technique… and Naruto saw something troubling… it seems their leader has the Rinnegan." Kakashi said and the sand ninja's eyes widened.

"The Rinnegan… I thought it and the Sage of the Six Paths were just a myth…" Chiyo said.

"Most do, but they're real… Jiraiya-sensei once told us he trained a Rinnegan user in Ame…" Fu said. "Though he supposedly died years ago… he'll probably want to check on that." Naruto had asked the pervert once if he had any other students aside from the Fourth. He eventually told them of the Fourth's teammates, who died before they could make a name for themselves, and the trio of orphans in Ame.

"The second thing is the statue… apparently, it's called the Gedo Mazo and it has some connection to the Sage of the Six Paths, but aside from that, we don't know much about it." Kakashi said. The Biju had told them that much, but either they didn't know or refused to say anything else about the statue.

"To think our enemy has the legendary Rinnegan… the bloodline said to be able to save the world or reduce it to nothing." Ebizo said. "I don't suppose you know anything about what powers it might have?"

"Afraid not." Naruto replied.

"Is there anything else you know?" Temari asked.

"They already have one Biju, the Gobi according to Jiraiya's intel… but there is something much more troubling… and it may not have anything to do with the Akatsuki." Kakashi said, referring to Madara's believed connection to the organization.

"What is it… what could be more troubling?" Ebizo asked.

"… Fifteen and a half years ago… the night I was born… the Nine Tailed Demon Fox attacked Konoha… I'm sure you know that… what you don't know is that my mother was the previous Kyuubi Jinchuriki." Naruto said.

"What? Wait a minute, how could the seal just break?" Temari asked.

"A female Jinchuriki's seal weakens during child birth… so, when you were born, your mother's seal weakened and broke." Ebizo said. "That makes you Kushina's son… but why is this troubling now?"

"This should say it all… my father was Minato Namikaze." Naruto said, once more shocking the sand ninja, especially Gaara. They were more alike than he thought it seemed, both Jinchuriki and the children of their village's fourth kage.

"I see…" Ebizo said as he connected the dots.

"While that's interesting, why is that important here?" Kankuro asked.

"Because during a Jinchuriki's child birth, a seal master can maintain the seal to keep it from breaking and repair it afterwards… it would be well within my ability to do so and the Fourth Hokage far surpassed my abilities with sealing jutsu… he would certainly have been there to see his son born and would never have allowed the seal to break." Chiyo said. "That you would tell us this… you believe someone kept your father from repairing Kushina's weakened seal and took that opportunity to break it."

"We knew it for a while now… but we recently found out who… we didn't believe it until Jiraiya confirmed it with absolute certainty." Kakashi said.

"Who was it?" Ebizo asked.

"… Madara Uchiha."

"What?" Temari exclaimed.

"He's still alive?" Chiyo asked in shock.

"I see… it seems he truly is a monster… this is far worse indeed. You believe he has a connection to the Akatsuki?" Ebizo asked.

"Yes… Naruto didn't see any Sharingan aside from Itachi's, but he could be controlling them from hiding… anyway, even if he isn't connected to the Akatsuki, we thought you should be aware he's alive." Fu said.

"How could he have survived all this time?" Chiyo asked.

"We don't know… but there are ways to extend a person's life unnaturally. Take Sasori for instance… or Orochimaru, who created a technique that allows him to live forever by taking over the bodies of others." Kakashi said.

The discussion continued for about ten more minutes. It was ultimately decided that they should keep this information to themselves for now after what happened with Yura.

An hour later at the front gate of Suna, Teams Kakashi and Gai were saying their goodbyes to the sand siblings, who had come to the gate to see them off. Naruto and stood in front of Gaara with Fu at his side.

"See ya." Kankuro said.

"Yeah." Naruto replied.

"It was nice meeting you all." Fu said.

"Likewise." Gaara replied with a nod. Naruto held up his hand to shake Gaara's. Everyone smiled as Gaara looked on with his usual, emotionless expression, but raised his own and shook hands with his fellow Jinchuriki.

"See you around, Gaara." Naruto said as they left.

"Yes. Take good care of each other." Gaara said, knowing what their lives had been like.

About half an hour later, the group walked through the desert sands, the sun bearing down on them as they made their way back to their village. Fu had introduced herself to Team Gai.

"So, you two are dating?" Tenten asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, what's so shocking about it?" Fu asked with narrowed eyes.

"Nothing. He's a nice guy, but he seems like kind of a knucklehead."

"Hey, I'm not the same loudmouth I was before." Naruto said.

"I guess not. You wouldn't have gotten promoted otherwise." Tenten replied.

"That's right. I grew up a lot while we trained with the Pervy Sage." Naruto said with a grin.

"Yeah, it's true you did." Fu said before smirking. "Of course, that's not really saying much."

"Oh, come on, Fu." Naruto said with a mock pout and Fu giggled.

Neji seemed slightly worried as he heard all this. After his fight with Naruto and the revelation of what truly happened to his father, he had repaired his relationships with and grown close to his cousins and uncle. Once he did, it hadn't taken him long to learn of his cousin's love for the blond. He knew she wouldn't take this well.

"YOSH! NARUTO, NOT ONLY HAVE YOU SURPASSED ME IN RANK THROUGH PURE HARD WORK, YOU HAVE FOUND SOMEONE TO SHARE YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH WITH! YOUR YOUTH BURNS BRIGHTLY!" Lee yelled, slightly more enthusiastically then normal and with tears streaming from his eyes. This meant one less rival for Sakura.

"THAT'S RIGHT! I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW FAR YOU WILL GO IN YOUR SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH!" Gai added.

"…Are they always like this?" Fu asked Tenten quietly.

"Unfortunately…" the weapon enthusiast answered with a cloud of gloom over her head.

"I feel so sorry for you." Fu replied.

"Thank you…" Tenten replied.

"I WILL NOT BE OUTDONE! MY YOUTH WILL BURN JUST AS BRIGHTLY! I WILL INCREASE MY TRAINING AND RUN FIVE THOUSAND LAPS AROUND KONOHA ON MY HANDS!" Lee yelled.

"AT A BOY, LEE! AND I'LL BE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU! I'LL HELP YOU FAN THE FLAMES OF YOUR YOUTH AND RISE EVEN FURTHER!" Gai said, giving him his nice guy pose.

"SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!" With that, much to the horror of most others present, the two embraced each other and, somehow, a genjutsu of a beach sunset with crashing waves appeared behind them.

Naruto, Fu and Sakura cried out in horror as they beheld the sight and Fu and Naruto quickly began trying to dispel the nightmarish illusion.

"Why? Why won't it break?" Fu yelled, panicking as she tried in vain to free herself from the illusion, she and Naruto growing more desperate by the second.

"It can't be broken!" Sakura wailed in despair.

"What? Are you serious?" Naruto yelled. Last time he had seen this, he didn't know how to cancel genjutsu, so he wouldn't know that.

"I don't understand it either." Kakashi said, though he was disturbed by the sight, he was used to it, as were Tenten and Neji, who just sighed.

"… Neji, is it good or bad that this doesn't bother us anymore?" Tenten asked.

"… It's a bad thing… I'm certain of that…" the stoic Hyuuga replied.

The two separated and the illusion fell, to the relief of the other leaf ninja.

"… I didn't need anymore mental scars…" Fu said dejectedly and Naruto comforted her, dealing with it better as he had seen it before. After a moment, he turned to the jonin responsible.

"… Hey, Gai-sensei. Think you could teach me that?" Naruto asked, horrifying everyone aside from the spandex clad duo present, especially Fu.

"Sorry, I'm afraid I will not teach you the genjutsu. Though I will aid you in taijutsu, should you need it. Come on, we're moving too slowly. Our youth won't last for ever!"

"Yes, Gai-sensei! Let us make it back to Konoha in one day!" Lee said as the two took off. Once they were out of hearing range, everyone turned to Naruto.

"Naruto… why did you want to learn that genjutsu?" Fu asked fearfully. Naruto smirked evilly at the question.

"I was hoping I could figure out what made it unbreakable, and create genjutsu that even Itachi Uchiha couldn't escape from." Everyone present was relieved at his answer and Kakashi, Fu and Sakura imagined the possibilities.

"That's actually a good idea… I wonder what it's secret is." Kakashi mused as he, Fu and Sakura thought of genjutsu like Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death made unbreakable. Sadly, since Gai would teach no one his genjutsu, these thoughts would never become a reality.

"Come on, guys! If we don't hurry, we'll lose those two!" Tenten yelled before they all took off after their energetic comrades.

* * *

><p>In a cave lit only by a lantern in the center of the room, the shadowy projections of the seven remaining members of Akatsuki stood.<p>

"Well, the Kazekage's capture was a bust. What's the damage?" Kisame asked their leader. "And where is our artist duo? Surely they both didn't fall."

"Unfortunately, that is the case. Furthermore, we were unable to recover Deidara's ring. Skill wise, their loss is a great blow to our organization and Sasori's loss damages our spy network. Please mourn them silently. Kakuzu, I expect you to take over Sasori's duties. You will be compensated for the additional work."

"Understood." Kakuzu replied.

"God damn it!" Hidan roared. "Now we have to gather information? That's worse than collecting bounties."

Kakuzu glanced to his partner. "Stop complaining, just do your job. What about the statue?"

"The statue has suffered serious damage and is, for the moment, inoperable and will remain so for approximately two months. We will be unable seal the Biju for the time being. It seems we underestimated the lengths to which the villages will go to retrieve the Jinchuriki. For now, our hunt will have to be put on hold, with the exception of the Sanbi and the Rokubi and after this, we will have to take greater precautions to prevent interference. Zetsu, have you located either of Kiri's former Biju yet?"

"**The Sanbi is hiding in a lake in the Land of Fangs.** It's not going anywhere. We still haven't located the Rokubi host yet, but we're on his trail."

"Good, Locate it immediately. I want the Sanbi and Rokubi captured before the statue is repaired. Unlike the others, no one will try to rescue them. Itachi, I want you to deal with the Rokubi once it is located. Kakuzu, while working on the spy network, make it a priority to find the exact whereabouts of the remaining Jinchuriki and their abilities. Once we have the Rokubi, Zetsu will do the same while Itachi and Kisame work to gather funds, ideally by eliminating prominent ninja loyal to the villages and collecting their bounties as I'm certain Kakuzu will at every opportunity. As for the Sanbi, it will be left to our newest member." With that, a new shadow appeared, wearing a mask with a spiral design centering on his right eye.

"Hi! I can't believe I'm actually a member of the Akatsuki. Wow! What an awesome lair! Hello there, comrades, I'm Tobi." The masked man said energetically.

"Oh, are you fucking kidding me?" Hidan asked. He and Kakuzu had met Tobi once while he was with Zetsu, neither was impressed. "Tobi? All he can do is run away! Jashin would curse me if I sacrificed him."

"Oh, I don't know, he certainly brightens up our organization, doesn't he?" Kisame grinned.

"Thank you for the support! I'll work hard to help you collect the remaining Jinchuriki. After all, Tobi is a good boy!" Tobi said.

* * *

><p>Deep within the headquarters of ROOT, Danzo stood in the center of a room. Kneeling before him on one knee is a pale boy with short black hair. Danzo had finalized his plans for infiltrating the Jinchuriki's team.<p>

"I've arranged it so that you've been assigned to Team Kakashi. Not only are you around the same age as the Jinchuriki, you are among the strongest of your generation in the village and your artistic mind is amazing." Danzo said. "From today until the mission is complete, your name is Sai."

"I am… Sai." the boy replied with a smile that was obviously fake.

"Don't use fake smiles with me." Danzo said and Sai's smile fell into an emotionless expression.

"Sorry. The manual said that a smiling face appeals to people, but, I'm unable to make these facial expressions."

* * *

><p>Three days later, the leaf ninja finally reached Konoha and headed straight to Tsunade's office. Kakashi had just finished his report, he left out the information about Madara from the verbal report, the fewer who knew about that the better at the moment and Team Gai was there, but they did reveal the information on the statue and the Rinnegan to them. Then they talked about what Sasori had told them. Team Gai had already left, though they were interested in the information about Orochimaru, their squad had their own duties to deal with at the moment.<p>

"I see… it could be a trap… either the Akatsuki could be using Orochimaru as bait or Orochimaru could know about the spy… and there are only six days to act on it." Tsunade said.

"Then we'll just have to fight our way through." Naruto said confidently.

"… I'll give you my answer about the mission in two hours. For now, rest. You just got back from a difficult mission."

Fu sighed. "We just got back and we're already being sent out again? Great, I was hoping we could look for a better place to stay once we got back." Naruto had wanted to find his parents' home, only to hear from Jiraiya that the modest house they lived in before they moved to the Hokage Residence had been destroyed in the Kyuubi attack.

"Oh yeah, I have a bounty to turn in." Naruto said as he brought out the scroll containing Deidara's corpse. "Deidara of Iwa."

"Right, the Akatsuki you fought. Nice job, that's 35 million for you and Kakashi each." Tsunade said as she took the scroll. "You know, if you guys are in search of a home, I've got a place if you're willing to buy."

"Really? Where?" Fu asked.

"The Senju clan compound." The eyes of everyone present bulged when they heard this.

"Lady Tsunade… you're willing to sell your family's home?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, what else am I going to do with it?" Tsunade asked before looking to her desk with a sad expression, remembering her lost loved ones before turning to Naruto. "I'm the last of my clan and I'm already past child-bearing age… that aside, my grandmother was an Uzumaki and our clans are distantly related… you're the closest relative I have… actually, unless there's another Uzumaki out there, you're the only living relative I have." Tsunade said. "Who better to leave my family's legacy too?"

"Well… thanks Grandma Tsunade… heh, you really are like a grandma to me… so, how much?" Naruto asked with a smile and was a little put off when Tsunade smirked.

"100 million." (**The equivalent of around 12 and a half million dollars.**)

"Wha-" Naruto began, not at all happy with the price. "Wait, that's for everything on the property?"

"Of course… and all you have to do is pay and promise I can live there rent free once I retire." Tsunade replied.

"I probably shouldn't ask this but, shouldn't it cost more than that?"

"I'm giving you a discount because you're family and because you're going to maintain the place for me when I retire, trust me when I say you couldn't afford the full price, even now." Tsunade smirked. The truth was that wasn't close to what it was worth, but on the other hand, since he was her last living relative as far as she knew and like a grandson to her, she was planning to leave him the place in her will… no reason to let him know that now though…

"That's… a really good deal then…" Naruto said, though he was still a bit upset about the cost. "You said you're going to live there once you retire? You promise not to break a window or tear down a wall over something and make me fix it?"

"… You want to pay full price?" Tsunade glared and Naruto quickly shook his head no.

"If your upset about the cost, we can split it 50-50." Fu suggested.

"Sounds good." Naruto replied.

"You sure about that?" Kakashi asked. "You'll have joint ownership if you split the cost."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Naruto replied.

"It's a deal then… you do know no one's lived there since I left the village, right?" Tsunade asked.

"That's alright, with our shadow clones we should have it cleaned up in no time." Naruto replied.

"Well, come on then." Tsunade said as she stood up. "Once you've bought the compound, I'll place a blood seal on you that will allow you through the barrier that protects it. You'll have to use that until you're skilled enough to replace the seal. Let's go, I want to get this over with."

With that, the three left and Kakashi and Sakura decided to accompany them. They made their way to the bank to carry out the transaction. Naruto only paid 25 million, letting Tsunade take his part of Deidara's bounty for the rest and she gave them the keys and deed to the property before inscribing the seals on the Jinchuriki's forearms, drawing an intricate seal on their forearms in her blood and channeling chakra into them. Afterwards the group walked through the village. Along the way, Tsunade told them the highlights of their new home, namely the main house, the library, the storehouse and the armory. They soon arrived and stood before the compounds gates. It was almost on the opposite side of the village from where the Uchiha compound had been, though it was closer to the heart of the village than that estate, which was pretty much isolated. Speaking of the Uchiha compound, the council had it torn down and confiscated everything in their library and storehouses, since the last members of the clan had gone rouge.

The grounds of the compound were surrounded by a large stone wall with a wooden gate that had the Senju clan symbol engraved on it. It was far smaller than the Uchiha or Hyuuga clan compounds, but then, the Senju clan was smaller in number. That was part of the reason the clan died out, the rest could be attributed to bad luck on the battlefield and in love and a larger number of women born to the clan than men.

"Alright, we're here. With those seals I gave you, all you need is the key. Take a look around, I've got to get back to my office."

"You're sure there's nothing you want to take?" Naruto asked.

"I already took everything I wanted. Just put anything you don't want lying around in one of the other houses or storerooms." Tsunade said, waving a hand as she walked back to her office.

"Thanks again, Grandma." Naruto said to the Sannin.

"If you want to thank me then stop calling me that." Tsunade replied over her shoulder as she walked away.

The pair of Jinchuriki had feelings of strong anticipation as Naruto reached for the gate. Fu, Kakashi and Sakura watched as he unlocked and slowly opened the gate and the teens' jaws almost dropped. The buildings were mostly in traditional Japanese styles (**I** **largely based it on the Uchiha compound**). There were two rows of buildings divided by a stone pathway which branched off at a few points and at the end of the path was the clan head's home, a two story mansion. There were also many trees on the property and the Senju clan symbol was emblazoned on the walls surrounding the property and many of the buildings.

However, though the buildings were largely intact, the place was covered with overgrown plants and they knew from past experiences the inside of the buildings would be covered with dust and some repairs may be necessary. For once the Jinchuriki were glad for all the D-rank missions they did… they may have had to pay for the repairs instead of handling most of it themselves otherwise. Not that they couldn't afford it, they both still had plenty of money and Naruto could easily make more at casinos. They would however, need to pay for someone to repair the weapons in the armory which had likely become somewhat worn from age.

"Whoa… this is where Grandma Tsunade grew up?" Naruto said in awe.

"You told me you used to prank clan compounds, so you must have seen a lot of them. How does our new home compare?" Fu asked as she looked around.

"Well, it's smaller than the Hyuuga compound and it doesn't have the same stuck up feeling that place gives off. It's definitely a lot nicer than the Inuzuka compound." Naruto mused.

"Wait, you pranked clan compounds? How'd you manage that?" Sakura asked.

"You do realize you're talking to the guy who managed to paint the entire Hokage Monument in broad daylight wearing a bright orange jumpsuit?" Naruto asked with a smirk and Sakura mentally slapped herself at having forgotten that as Fu took a few steps forward, looking at the buildings. Naruto cupped his chin in thought. "Let's see, what were the highlights of my pranking career aside from that masterpiece? There was the time I managed to sneak sneezing powder into the Akimichi's food supply, the time I snuck a dozen alley cats into the Inuzuka's kennels…" Sakura was trying not to laugh while Kakashi sighed.

"… I'm not surprised that was you." Kakashi said.

"… Then there was the time I dyed the Hyuuga's underwear pink." Naruto said and neither Fu nor Sakura could resist laughing. Kakashi just looked on impassively.

"You- you didn't tell me about that yet." Fu said as she struggled to breathe.

"Oh yeah, must of slipped my mind." Naruto smirked.

"How did you sneak around the Byakugan?" Sakura said, still laughing.

"I didn't even know about that at the time. Anyway, I snuck in at night; I guess the guards don't use it all the time." Naruto replied. The guards of the Hyuuga compound only used their Byakugan when looking for a known intruder to conserve chakra.

"Did he have a reputation for things like this?" Sakura asked Kakashi after she calmed down.

"Yes… catching him while he was playing pranks was the chunin's equivalent to a Tora the cat mission." Kakashi answered. "Iruka knew him well enough that he could usually find him fairly quickly… but I pitied anyone who was stuck with catching Naruto while he was busy."

"Well… at least he grew out of it." Sakura said.

"You should know he told me he intends to teach Konohamaru and his gang all his secrets." Fu smirked.

"Just what the village needed." Kakashi deadpanned. "Seems like it'll take a lot of work to clean and fix this whole place by yourselves."

"That's what shadow clones are for." Fu said.

"No, it's not." Sakura said. She really didn't like the thought of a technique of that level being used like that, though she couldn't deny it was convenient.

"I know that, but you know what I mean." Fu rolled her eyes.

"So, want to check this place out with us?" Naruto asked.

"Sure." Sakura replied.

"You go ahead; I have some things to take care of." Kakashi said before disappearing in a poof of smoke. He didn't mention he had to figure out what he would buy with his half of Deidara's bounty, though he'd likely just save it… though he did plan on buying some very rare, author signed collectors versions of all the Icha-Icha series books.

"You want to take a look at the library first?" Fu asked and Naruto and Sakura nodded. As they stepped inside the library, they looked around in awe. Even though the place was covered in dust, it didn't lessen how impressive it was. There were a few thousand scrolls and books and though many held such things as fundamentals of chakra and ninja arts for the children of the clan, clan history and history in general, weapons forging and mundane tasks or hobbies such as cooking or gardening, most of the scrolls contained knowledge of ninjutsu, genjutsu, various taijutsu styles, both cursed and normal sealing jutsu and kinjutsu. Clan with a thousand skills indeed.

After looking around for a few minutes, Naruto suggested they take a look at the main house. Since she wasn't going to live there, Sakura stayed at the library while Naruto and Fu left to inspect the two story mansion that served as the clan head's home. They took their sandals off at the entrance area and explored their new home. Despite its exterior, the buildings did have some more western styled rooms, most notably the living room and bedrooms.

The highlights of the first floor were the kitchen, which was decently sized and had a chabudai (Japanese short legged table) across from the stove. The stove and fridge were state of the art… when Tsunade left the village but they were still better than what most had. The kitchen was adjacent to the living room, which had, on one side of the room, three green couches around a coffee table, facing a 15 inch TV and against the nearby wall there was a daybed. On the other side of the room, there was another chabudai with eight cushions, as the room had a hardwood floor instead of the tatami mats found in the kitchen and most of the other rooms. The next thing they found was a study, prefect for meetings and working on seals. The remaining areas of interest of the first floor were a large dojo and a room with a fire pit for serving tea, both of which had a view of the backyard through the shoji doors, which was a Zen garden with a small-man made pond and waterfall.

While Fu continued to look around the first floor and the garden, Naruto walked up the stairs to the second floor and was joined by Fu minutes later. The second floor housed three bedrooms, each about twice the size of the Naruto's apartment bedroom, a few multi-purpose rooms and the master bedroom, which was half the size of Naruto's old apartment suite and had its own bathroom. The master bedroom had a queen sized bed with brown sheets and white pillows with a large dresser at its side. Across from the bed, there was a couch with another chabudai before a 12 inch TV sitting on a small dresser and the room had a byobu screen for privacy. The master bedroom also had its own full bathroom.

After checking out the rest of the house, they left and headed to the armory. There, they found a massive amount of swords of various types, normal and custom kunai, shuriken, battle fans and various other weapons. They then headed to the storehouse and found supplies like ration bars, plasma pills and chakra paper. They took one piece of chakra paper and returned to the library.

"So, what do you think of your new home?" Sakura asked, looking up from a scroll on the clan's history. They had been gone over half an hour.

"It's amazing, though I guess the Senju clan are the closest to thing to royalty in the village." Fu noted.

"You've got to see the main house." Naruto said. "Actually, what do you think of a house warming party?"

"Good idea. Sounds like fun." Fu replied.

"Yeah, I can't wait. If Lady Tsunade sends us to check on the spy and everything goes well, maybe Sasuke will be there too." Sakura said.

"Yeah, maybe." Naruto said. Though he decided that he would kill him if he went too far, until he crossed that line, he was still his lost friend. "Hey, Sakura, we found something for you."

"Huh?" Sakura responded before Naruto took out the piece of chakra paper. "What's that? Is that chakra paper?"

"That's right. Have you used it before?" Fu asked and Sakura shook her head, "Well, let's see what you have." Sakura took the slip of paper and focused her chakra into it and in a moment, the paper crumbled to dust.

"So I'm an earth type?"

"Looks like it. That makes our team pretty balanced." Fu said.

"Yeah, we've got all the affinities covered except fire and Naruto's skilled enough with that, not to mention you have that sword." Sakura said. "I'm gonna go see Lady Tsunade, mind if I borrow a few scrolls on earth jutsu?"

"It's fine, just be sure to bring them back." Naruto replied and Fu nodded. "We should probably go too. I'm kind of hungry and there's nothing to eat here."

"Same here. We still have over an hour before the Hokage makes her decision about the mission."

* * *

><p>Tsunade sat on a couch in a room in the administration building across from Koharu and Homura, with Shizune standing behind her. They had called her there to talk as soon as she returned, though she didn't yet know why. She didn't particularly like the two. They were more militant than her and her sensei and this led to them frequently butting heads. They also tended to agree with Danzo, which didn't help them in her book.<p>

"We've been informed you sent both of our Jinchuriki on a mission dealing with the Akatsuki." Homura began and Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she instantly knew what this was about. "Do not send them on missions that risk contact with Akatsuki. Also, you should put them on separate teams, and assign high ranking shinobi to them to increase our supervision and guard over them."

"Also, you should decrease their missions as much as possible and restrict their movements." Koharu added.

"Unacceptable." Tsunade replied adamantly.

"Tsunade, they are Jinchuriki. Normally, they shouldn't be allowed to leave the village at all and would be kept under constant supervision. We are making concessions here." Homura said.

"While I'm in favor of increasing their guard, I won't place such restrictions on them." Tsunade said. "Also, they were trained together by Jiraiya and they have been taught to work with each other. Separating them would be a mistake. As for leaving them in the village, that increases the risk of Akatsuki attacking the village like they did to Suna. That aside, Naruto has a special ability. He will grow to become a great power for Konoha, and I have confidence in Fu."

"You're being flippant, Tsunade. Speak like a Hokage."

"I'm also making concessions here!"

"Then can you truly guarantee that the Akatsuki won't take them? If the Akatsuki take either of them, they will become even more of a threat to Konoha, to all villages. That's part of the reason why Fu was sent here. Taki realized they couldn't protect her and gave her up to protect themselves and all villages. Can you guarantee they will not be captured?"

"Naruto will not be taken… nor will Fu. I trust in that."

"And what if you're wrong? What will you do?" Koharu asked.

"If that places this village or country in danger, then I'll put my life on the line as Hokage to protect it, as the Fifth Hokage." Tsunade replied. Shizune smiled as she heard this.

"… Very well, if you're that convinced… however, as she has no connection to Sasuke, do not send Fu to deal with the spy… also allow us to choose a new member to work with and protect them when necessary." Homura said.

"Danzo, you may enter." Koharu said.

Tsunade turned her head to the door to see the old war hawk of Konoha enter the room.

"…You…" Tsunade said.

"It's been a while, Princess Tsunade."

"If you're here, that means the new member is…"

* * *

><p>As the pair of Jinchuriki made their way to Ichiraku's, they went by the Chunin Exam Preparatory Committee building to find Shikamaru taking a break looking up at the clouds.<p>

"Hey, are you up to?" Naruto said.

"Oh hey, guys. Just taking a break. This Chunin Exam stuff's so troublesome…"

"Shikamaru… here's the lunch your mother told me to bring… oh, hi Naruto, Fu…" Choji said as he walked over, carrying Shikamru's lunch.

"Hey, Choji." Naruto said.

"We were on our way to Ichiraku's before we see about a mission, want to come?" Fu asked.

"No, thanks but I'm already late to meet Ino and Asuma-sensei, so I'll have to-" he was cut off as they all noticed a presence. Naruto turned, summoned his Hisho Taichi and created a wind blade with a slash all in one fluid motion. He made it fairly weak since they were in the village but it was powerful enough to destroy the strange ink figure that had been a few feet behind him before vanishing. They all looked to the top of a building to see Sai sitting on top with a scroll rolled out in front of him.

"Who's that? He's wearing a leaf forehead protector." Fu asked.

"I don't know, I've never seen him before. Anyway, he attacked us, so we need to capture him." Naruto replied. "Either of you seen him?"

"No, never saw him around the village." Shikamaru said.

Seeing the pale boy begin drawing, Naruto charged forward and launched a wind blade to attempt to disrupt his opponent's jutsu. Sai jumped to the side to dodge while he finished his drawing.

"Ninja Art: Super Beasts Scroll." The six lions he drew came to life and charged at Naruto, who destroyed three with a wind blade before ducking as he sensed Fu appear behind him. She destroyed the remaining lions with a pair of water swords and Naruto vanished. He reappeared behind Sai and swung his sword down. Sai blocked with his tanto held in a reverse grip.

"You're… fairly weak… what do you have between your legs?" Sai asked with an obviously fake smile.

Naruto's eyes widened at the question before they narrowed dangerously. In a moment, he broke Sai's guard and delivered a powerful kick to his stomach which sent him flying from the roof they were standing on a crashing into another. Naruto had held back to avoid causing property damage. Otherwise he would have sent him through the roof for that remark.

Sai began to get up when insects swarmed towards him from all corners of the roof. He quickly jumped into the air and left in an Ink Body Flicker.

'_That guy…his fake smile … wasn't like ours… Fu and I smiled to hide our pain… this guy… there's nothing behind his smile at all… ROOT…_' Jiraiya had eventually told him and Fu about Danzo and ROOT.

Naruto jumped off the roof to return to the others and Fu recalled her insects while Ino approached the group from behind.

"Jeez, there you are Choji. Asuma-sensei's angry you haven't shown up yet."

"Sorry, I got asked by Shikamaru's mom to bring him lunch but we were attacked by this weird guy." Choji asked as Naruto joined them.

"Weird guy?" Ino asked.

"Yeah, he used a jutsu to bring ink drawings to life. We almost had him but he got away." Fu said.

"Hm… I've never heard of anyone like that." Ino noted. "Anyway, Choji and I need to meet Asuma-sensei, see you guys later."

"See you. Sorry, Shikamaru, but we should get going to." Naruto said.

"No problem. I should get back to work anyway." Shikamaru replied and they parted ways.

* * *

><p>Tsunade sat in her office in front of an ANBU wearing a cat mask. The only survivor of Orochimaru's experiments on implanting the First Hokage's cells into infants.<p>

"So that's how it is." Tsunade said as she finished her explanation. "You will join Team Kakashi."

"Working with Kakashi will be an honor, milady."

"This isn't an ANBU mission, but a regular one. You will remove your mask and be assigned a codename. For the duration, you will be known as Yamato."

"I understand." Yamato said, removing his mask.

"There is one more person, a member of ROOT, the black ops training division, assigned to Team Kakashi. Keep an eye on his movements."

"… What do you mean?"

"The new member is one that Danzo recommended. Danzo is a man that opposed the Third Hokage, emphasizing military power over diplomacy. He founded a separate division of ANBU, ROOT, with himself as leader. I'm sure you've heard of him before. The group has since been disbanded and he lost his position, but I'm still suspicious of him."

"Perhaps you're worrying too much, milady."

"… Never mind. The other members of the team should be here any minute."

"Alright."

Twenty minutes later, Sai had joined Tsunade and Yamato and the other members of Team Kakashi walked through the door. Naruto and Fu were surprised to see Sai there and Kakashi was surprised to see Yamato, who was now dressed as a jonin instead of a member of ANBU.

"Hiya." Sai said with his fake smile.

"I'm glad to see you're here. I'm surprised you're on time, Kakashi."

"Only because we dragged him here. So, I'm guessing they're the new members of our team?" Fu said.

"That's correct, this is Yamato, I'm told you two already met Sai."

"So, that's what you're going to go by while your with us? It's been a while, hasn't it?" Kakashi asked Yamato.

"Indeed, Kakashi. It's an honor to work with you again." Yamato said with a nod.

"You know each other?" Naruto asked.

"He was my subordinate back when I was in ANBU." Kakashi replied. "So, will we be checking on the spy?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid that there are going to be some changes to the team. This mission requires a four-man squad and since we have had a special request for Kakashi, Yamato will temporarily lead Team Kakashi. Also, Sai will take Fu's place on this mission."

"What?" Naruto asked, a little surprised.

"Like I said, this is going to be a four-man team and Fu doesn't know Sasuke, so there's no real reason to send her. Also, some of the council doesn't want me to send both our Jinchuriki on the same mission, especially one where we risk an encounter with the Akatsuki. That being said Fu, I need you for another mission. You're to meet up with Team Asuma at the gate and replace Shikamaru on a B-rank escort mission."

"I understand. What exactly is the mission, Lady Hokage?" Fu asked.

"Takahiro, the Daimyo from the Land of Honey just completed negotiations with the Daimyo of the Land of Hot Water and needs an escort back to his country. You can hear the rest from Asuma. He and his team should be waiting at the west gate, so I'm afraid you'll have to leave immediately."

"Ok, see you guys when we all get back. Take care, Naruto." Fu said as she turned to the door.

"You too, Fu." Naruto replied.

"Alright, let's get acquainted elsewhere." Yamato said and with that, they headed to the door, Kakashi stayed behind as he had to be briefed on his mission.

* * *

><p>Asuma, Choji and Ino stood at Konoha's north gate, waiting for their fourth teammate. Ino was tapping her foot as she looked around impatiently.<p>

"When's our help going to show up?" Ino asked.

"Be more patient Ino. They'll probably be here as soon as Lady Hokage tells them about the mission." Asuma admonished before he sensed someone approaching.

"Sorry about that." Fu said as she appeared before them in a burst of speed.

"About time." Ino said. "What took you so long?"

"It's like he said, Lady Hokage just told me."

"So you'll be Shikamaru's replacement? How much has Lady Hokage told you?" Asuma asked.

"Not much, just that we're escorting the Land of Honey's Daimyo back to his country after a meeting. She said you could fill me in on the rest."

"I see. Come on, we're expected to meet him by tomorrow morning and we've got a days journey ahead of us. I'll tell you more on the way." Asuma said as he started to walk off before turning around. "You need time to get more supplies?"

Fu responded by taking out two scrolls from her coat pocket. "I'm good. Ero-sensei taught us to always carry around enough supplies in scrolls to last few days."

"Good. Then let's get going." Asuma said as they took off, jumping through the trees.

"So, why weren't we hired for the way there too?" Fu asked.

"Apparently, there was an attempt on his life during the meeting. He's lucky that a lot of the Hot Springs Daimyo's guard is made up of ninja of their former village. They managed to chase the assassins off." Asuma replied. "But he won't have that protection once they leave the Daimyo's residence. We'll meet him and his servants in a town near the place. Afterwards, it'll take three days to reach the Land of Honey."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Naruto, Sakura, Sai and Yamato stood at the location he chose.<p>

"Hey, Naruto, how do you know him anyway?" Sakura asked gesturing towards Sai.

"He attacked me and Fu out of nowhere." Naruto replied, glaring slightly at Sai who smiled back. He knew this guy was probably either spying on them for Danzo or had some alternate mission and would likely betray them at some point. Or both.

"I just wanted to test your strength, dickless. I have to say I underestimated you." Sai said with his fake smile. Naruto's eye twitched.

"…For the sake of the team and the mission, I'm going to pretend you didn't call me that." Naruto said after taking a deep breath.

"You know, you shouldn't just attack someone without warning or say things like that. It's not good for a first impression or for building trust or teamwork." Sakura scolded the ROOT ninja.

"Why thank you, I'll keep that in mind. You're a friendly crone, aren't you?" Sai replied.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" Sakura yelled as she lunged at the pale teen. Yamato held her back from giving the ROOT ninja a demonstration of her strength. Sai looked on, his smile not faltering for a moment and Naruto face palmed.

'_This is going to be a long mission…_'

* * *

><p><strong>That's chapter 10, I hope you liked it.<strong>

**Here's another question for all of you. Should Fu have normal chakra cloaks once she masters the Nanabi, or the chakra mode Naruto has? I think I may open up a poll about it.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's chapter 11, now my longest chapter.**

**I made a minor correction to chapter 8. I mentioned in one sentence only Naruto could sympathize with Sora being an orphan but I meant to say both Jinchuriki could.**

**Also, I've opened a poll on whether or not Fu will have the chakra cloak or the chakra mode Naruto has.**

* * *

><p>Sakura had finally calmed down and the three teens stood in front of Yamato. It was obvious neither of the original Team Kakashi members liked Sai, but it didn't seem to bother the boy at all. Yamato sighed as he looked at the three with his arms crossed.<p>

"Sai… I'll have to ask you to try not to provoke your teammates." Yamato said sternly.

"Sorry." Sai replied while still wearing his fake smile.

"Alright, as you know, I've been chosen to replace Kakashi on this mission and work with your team afterwards. My name is Yamato, now, introduce yourselves."

"Naruto Uzumaki." he said impassively.

"I'm Sakura Haruno." she said while glaring at Sai.

"My name is Sai." he said cheerfully.

"Alright, now I'll explain our mission." Yamato began. "The four of us will proceed to the Tenchi Bridge in Kusa, there we will intercept and capture the Akatsuki spy. This is our chance to find out more about Orochimaru and Sasuke. We can gain a valuable source of information which may lead to formulating a plan to assassinate Orochimaru and bring Sasuke back. So keep focused. We will assemble at the front gates in one hour. Gather your equipment and get ready."

The team then separated. Naruto wanted to go back to the Senju compound and check the armory, he always kept enough equipment in scrolls or seals on his body. Sakura did need to gather equipment however.

"Sakura…" Naruto said, getting the pink haired girl's attention. "Be careful of Sai."

"Huh, why? I mean, he's vulgar, but, why should I be worried about him?"

"If I'm right, he's a member of ROOT."

"ROOT?" Naruto crossed his arms and began to explain.

"They're a defunct branch of ANBU who were headed by a man named Danzo Shimura. Danzo believes all ninja should be emotionless tools and trained members of ROOT to be that way. They only took orders from him instead of the Hokage unless he ordered otherwise. Danzo's a war hawk, he's against the peaceful ways of Grandma Tsunade and the previous Hokage."

"So you think he's up to something?"

"Maybe, maybe not, still, better to be safe than sorry, right?" Naruto asked.

* * *

><p>Sakura stood before Tsunade in her office. She had wanted to tell her how her first meeting with the new members of the team went.<p>

"Sounds like he has quite an antagonistic streak in him." Tsunade noted about Sai. "Well, I'm afraid you guys will just have to bear with it for now."

"I know that, but…" She began, wanting to ask about what Naruto told her before she was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Enter." Tsunade said and Danzo opened the door and walked into the room. "Danzo… what do you want?"

'_Danzo?_' Sakura thought, remembering what Naruto had told her.

"You have assigned an elite ANBU to the team I trust, Princess Tsunade?" Danzo asked.

"I chose the person who stood out the most since the Third was in office." Tsunade replied.

"Excellent, but I hope he hasn't taken the Third's teachings to heart… that old man was always afraid of getting into disputes and making decisions." Danzo said and Tsunade glared at him but said nothing. "Like how your grandfather taught the Third, hmm? Anyway, I'm satisfied. I can rest easier now. Goodbye." The man said before he turned and left the room.

"That was Sai's superior, Danzo?" Sakura asked with a slight glare where the man had stood.

"Yeah. How do you know who he is?" Sakura turned to her mentor.

"Naruto… he told me about Danzo and ROOT. He seems to think they're up to something."

Tsunade closed her eyes in thought as she heard that. "…It seems he's gotten sharper under Jiraiya."

"You think he's right?"

"Most likely… but nothing to do about it unless he makes a move. Anyway, it's time for you to go."

"Right."

* * *

><p>As Team Yamato made their way to the Land of Grass, Naruto and Sakura made little attempt to hide that they dislike Sai. They had stopped at a hotel with a hot spring, which they were all enjoying at the moment. Since they were just relaxing that day, Naruto created 150 clones and had them all work on completing the Rasengan, though he didn't tell his teammates.<p>

As they relaxed, Naruto looked off in thought, thinking about Fu, all the recent developments, the mission and Sasuke. He hoped he could bring Sasuke back, but knew he would never come back willingly. Not unless Itachi died anyway. Even then, there was no telling how much he'd changed. What he didn't notice, but Yamato did, was that he was looking in the direction of the women's side of the hot springs.

"I'm done for now. But before I go, there's something I'd like to tell you, Naruto." Yamato began, getting the blonde's attention. "When Master Jiraiya was young, he came very close to dying once… six broken ribs, both arms were broken and several internal organs were ruptured. The cause was Tsunade's super human strength. What he did was what I believe you're thinking of doing right now. How do you think Sakura would react?"

"Huh?" Naruto replied before realizing where he had been looking. "Oh, you thought I was thinking of peeking? I'm not Pervy Sage, you know. I just had a lot on my mind. Besides, even if I was a pervert, I know what would happen if I did that. Sakura would beat me half to death and when we got back to Konoha, Fu would finish the job."

"I see, that's good to hear." Yamato replied before he went inside.

* * *

><p>Fu and Team Asuma sat in a tea house in the Land of Fire, waiting for their orders. They had been traveling non-stop through the trees and were taking a short break.<p>

"So, Fu, how's life in Konoha been?" Asuma asked.

"Good so far… I was afraid I'd be treated like I was back in Taki but I had nothing to worry about and Naruto and I just bought an amazing place to live." Fu answered with a smile.

"Wait, you bought a house together?" Ino asked.

"Well, more than a house, the Senju clan compound." Fu replied, shocking the rest of the team.

"What?" Ino asked. "Lady Tsunade sold you her clan's compound? Why?"

"Apparently, Naruto's her last living relative."

"Naruto's related to Lady Hokage?" Choji asked.

"Yeah, her grandmother was Mito Uzumaki. Naruto is the last survivor of her grandmother's clan."

"Wait, the Uzumaki are a clan?" Choji asked.

"They didn't teach that in the academy?" Fu asked. She thought they would given the relationship between Konoha and Uzushio.

"Afraid not. The Uzumaki clan led the village Uzushiogakure in the Land of Whirlpools, which was destroyed during a war years ago out of fear of their abilities. They were distant relatives of the Senju clan and were renowned for their sealing jutsu and longevity. Their village was such close allies with ours that we wear the symbol of Uzushio and the Uzumaki clan, the red spiral, to symbolize it. I'm sure you've noticed it before." Asuma explained.

"Wow, I never imagined he was a member of a clan, let alone one so powerful." Ino said.

"Far as I know, as Fu said, Naruto's the last survivor, so it's not surprising you never heard of them… wait, was Kushina his mother?" Asuma asked.

"Yeah, did you know her?" Fu asked.

"Not really. I know she was one of the most powerful kunoichi of our village since Tsunade, but I didn't work with her that often."

"Anyway, once the compound's cleaned and repaired, we're going to throw a house warming party. Any of you going to be there?"

"Sure thing." Ino replied.

"Same here." Choji said.

"If senseis are invited, you can count me in." Asuma said.

"How'd you afford to buy a clan compound?" Ino asked.

"Well, we've made a lot of money bounty hunting. Naruto made even more gambling and Tsunade gave Naruto a family discount… we also had to promise she could live there once she retires."

"Hey, you know, I'm sure Naruto told you about us but we don't know all that much about you." Asuma said.

"Oh, you're right, sorry about that." Fu said sheepishly. "My name's Fu, as you already know. I like my friends, gambling, though I'm not a gambling fool like Lady Tsunade, nature… and Naruto managed to get me hooked on ramen. My hobbies are practicing kenjutsu and training in general, reading and gardening. My dreams are… well … I'd really like to start a family someday… I also want to show my old village what they missed out on and become strong enough to protect all those precious to me. My dislikes are people who treat me like a monster, people who judge others unfairly and perverts. I also hate when Ero-sensei… Jiraiya… spends my money on himself… though he learned not to do that soon after he started."

The three present members of Team Asuma re-introduced themselves in a similar fashion before their orders arrived.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Sakura woke up from a good night sleep. After they got out of the hot springs, the four had spent the rest of the day relaxing and had a large meal before going to bed. As Sakura looked out of the open shoji door of her room saw Sai sitting by himself with something she couldn't see. After she got dressed, the pink haired girl decided to see what he was doing.<p>

"Hey, drawing a picture?" she asked as she approached the boy.

"What is it?" Sai asked as she looked over his shoulder.

"I'm surprised you can make something like this. Not something one would expect considering your personality."

"Is that so?" Sai said, donning his fake smile.

"Yeah. So, what's it called?"

"Called?"

"You haven't decided on a name yet?"

"No, that's not it. I've drawn hundreds, maybe thousands so far, none of them have titles."

"Oh… but don't pictures normally have names? Like, portraits have a persons name, other pictures have the situation at the time and others are named for the artists feelings."

"… To be more precise, even if I try to name them, I just can't do it." Sai said and Sakura looked at him curiously. "They don't put me in mind of anything… I don't feel anything." Sakura looked pensive as she recalled what Naruto had told her about Sai and ROOT and her meeting with Sai's superior when she went to see Tsunade.

"That's what I thought." Naruto noted as he walked towards them. "… Interesting drawing." He wasn't actually that interested in the drawing, though he admitted it was good. What he was more interested in was that someone who was completely emotionless likely wouldn't be able to come up with it, even if he couldn't form attachments to it.

"Hm… go on ahead… I just have to clean up here." Sai said.

"I'll give you a hand." Sakura said as she picked up a nearby book. "This isn't printed… did you draw this picture book? Could you show it to me on the way?"

"I can't, it's incomplete… and I don't let other people touch it because it's my brothers." Sai replied and Naruto raised a brow. If he kept that thing around and valued it enough to keep it from others, maybe Danzo hadn't completed his training and his emotions weren't completely suppressed after all.

* * *

><p>Asuma, Fu, Ino and Choji walked through the town in the Land of Hot Water where they were supposed to meet the Daimyo. As they walked through the town, Ino had seen several stores with sales or items she just had to have. As she had told Fu, shopping was her main hobby.<p>

"So where are we supposed to meet this guy?" Ino asked.

"It's supposed to be not too far from here." Asuma replied.

"You know, we'd probably have been there already if you hadn't taken us into those stores…" Fu sighed.

"What? Did you see the price on that kimono? Besides, don't act like you didn't buy anything yourself."

"I never said I didn't." Fu replied.

"Good thing we pulled them out when we did, huh Choji?" Asuma said quietly to the Akimichi.

"Tell me about it…" Choji grumbled. Any non-essentials came out of their pay. There had been several C-rank missions where Ino had blown most of their pay shopping. Fu wasn't so bad with that… in fact, she only bought anything due to Ino's insistence. Still, what Ino bought alone was more than enough to put a considerable dent in their pay.

"We can hear you, you know?" Ino said slightly menacingly.

"Oh, would you look at that, we're here." Asuma said, gesturing to a large building.

"Don't think I'll forget about this." the blonde said as they walked to the building. As they reached the building, they approached a guard in front of the gates.

"I'm guessing you're the ninja we requested." the guard said as they approached. "About time you showed up. Lord Takahiro's beginning to grow impatient. Come on, let's get going already."

"Geez. Would it have killed him to be polite?" Ino asked with a frown as they followed him. He led them through the building and soon they found themselves in the presence of the Daimyo. He was a middle aged man with brown hair and a mustache, wearing the customary clothing of a Daimyo.

"My lord. The ninja from Konoha have arrived." Their guard escorting them said as they approached.

"Ah, they're here at last." Takahiro said as he turned towards the ninja. "You're Asuma Sarutobi, if I'm not mistaken. You have quite the reputation. I assume you're the leader of this team, then?" The Daimyo said with a smile.

"Thank you, Lord Takahiro." Asuma said. "As you expect, I'm the captain of this team. This is Fu, a special jonin of Konoha, along with my students, chunin Ino Yamanaka and Choji Akimichi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." the three bowed slightly to their charge.

"My lord, if you and the shinobi are ready, we are prepared to leave immediately." one of the servants said.

"Ah, well, you heard him. I would like to return as soon as possible, so if you're ready, we will leave at once." Takahiro said. "Do you need any time to gather supplies?"

"That's fine, my lord. My thanks for the consideration." Asuma said and the Daimyo nodded and walked to his throne.

"Now this is more like it. Usually, nobles are such pricks, huh Choji?" Ino asked her fellow chunin who discretely nodded.

"Really? This is my first time guarding a noble." Fu said.

"You never got a mission like this back at Taki?" Choji asked and Fu shook her head.

"Well yeah. Nobles, for the most part, tend to be arrogant jerks or spoiled brats, though Daimyo's tend to be better. I remember once, we were assigned to guard this noble from the Land of Fangs. The bastard kept trying to pay me to become his servant. Oh, how I wanted to…" Ino said, the last part menacingly.

"That's enough. Let's not talk about that while the Daimyo might hear. Ino, Fu, I expect you two to scout for enemies using your insects and sensing abilities." Asuma said and his subordinates nodded. While not really a sensor as she hadn't honed the ability, Ino was a natural at sensing chakra like most of her clan and had she not been focusing on medical jutsu and her clan's techniques, she could be a sensor type ninja and likely would become one in the future.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Team Asuma and their charges were walking down a forest path, the Daimyo carried by his servants in a black, gilded planquin. The ninja stood around their charges and his guards, Asuma ahead, Fu and Ino at the center with Choji at the rear. So far, they hadn't encountered any problems aside from a bandit attack that was easily taken care of. Fu had secured an area with a half of a kilometer radius with her insects to warn of approaching attack.<p>

The green haired girl found she liked Team Asuma. She was glad Ino had gotten over her fan girl tendencies. She liked the girl's outspokenness and found she had a lot of knowledge on gardening from working in her families flower shop. She also found the blond was quite perceptive. Choji was kind and polite and she found Asuma to be a good sensei despite how laid back he seemed, especially when he told her what Ino, Choji and Shikamaru used to be like. Though it could be partially attributed to growing up, the fact that he managed to motivate them to become the ninja they were today said a lot.

"You used to have to motivate Choji by offering him food or insulting him?" Fu asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, you should have seen him at the Chunin Exams. During the prelims for the third stage, we were randomly matched up, he actually yelled 'safe again' once when he got passed over." Ino said with a laugh at the memory and Fu smirked. "He used to be such a chicken."

"I'm right here you know?" Choji said, slightly mortified at the memory.

"You know I don't mean anything by it." Ino said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, you've grown up a lot since then."

"Mind if I ask what's the story behind the Ino-Shika-Cho trio I heard about from Ero-sensei?" Fu asked.

"That's ok. Our clans have worked with each other to protect each other and the village. Every generation has always had an trio made of the Akimichi, Yamanaka and Nara clan heirs."

"Then you must have known each other before you entered the academy." Fu said.

"Yeah, our families are close and all our fathers made up the last trio from our clans so they're old friends. But we didn't know we were going to be on the same team or why till much later." Choji said while he munched on potato chips.

"Whenever a team from their three clans become chunin, it's become customary for a member of my clan to give them a set of earrings that have been in their families for generations to symbolize their unity. They eventually give them back to the clan to be passed on to the next generation. " Asuma said.

"The name Ino-Shika-Cho comes from the syllables of our names, obviously." Ino said.

"But I heard you weren't the first." Fu replied.

"That's right, our clans' heirs always have names with these syllables, and so, they always form Ino-Shika-Cho." Choji explained and Fu nodded.

"… Have you noticed?" Fu asked.

"…Yeah. We're being watched" Ino said. The Yamanaka clan was skilled in sensing chakra, though few were skilled enough to really be sensors. The two girls, along with Asuma, had sensed they were being watched. Choji, who had no such abilities, tensed slightly at their conversation, preparing for an attack.

"Can you tell how many there are?" Asuma asked.

"No. They're too far away." Ino said.

"I'll have my insects track them."

"Good. Unless we get the opportunity to do something, it's probably best if we wait till they make a move."

"I can summon a Chameleon to help." Fu said. She had already told them what they could do when she told them how she got them.

"That could be useful. Save it until we're sure we're not being watched." Asuma said.

* * *

><p>Quite a distance away, a group of six ex-Ame ninja, though they all still wore their forehead protectors sat together.<p>

"Huh, looks like they hired ninja from your old village." a jonin level kunoichi, Kiku said. She wore a blue, long sleeved shirt that showed her midriff and matching pants and had brown hair and grey eyes.

"They would probably send elite ninja to guard a Daimyo. Well, whoever it is, they're unlucky." a chunin, Oboro said.

"I'm curious who they sent… should be interesting." the leader of the group, a man with a black and white body suit and unkempt, shoulder length dark green hair, Aoi Rokusho said with a smirk.

He could still hardly believe how things turned out. He had betrayed that bleeding heart village he was born in and joined Ame. With the power of the Raijin no Ken, he quickly rose through the ranks of his new home to jonin and was even beginning to earn the attention of Hanzo of the Salamander himself. Then, he appeared. That megalomaniac who called himself Pain. A civil war began and, much to the shock of almost everyone on their side, Pain single-handedly killed the legendary leader of Ame. After that, he began to slaughter all those with ties to the man. While Aoi wasn't truly loyal to anyone, he had thrown in his lot with Hanzo and, fearing Pain wouldn't spare him, decided to find all the allies he could and get out of dodge.

They had fled the country and eventually heard word from fellow escapees from the remnants of the old Amegakure that the man who thought himself to be a god was hunting down all those survivors from Hanzo's faction. He and his group had been on the run, never staying in one place for long periods of time since.

* * *

><p>Soon, Team Asuma and their charges passed by the gates of a town. It was an average town, nothing particularly noteworthy about it. The sun was setting and, though the ninja were fine, the servants were all tired, especially those tasked with carrying the Daimyo's palanquin.<p>

"Asuma, do you think we should stop at this town for the night?" Takahiro asked. "I'm sure you shinobi are good to continue but my servants need the rest."

"Well… I guess it won't hurt to stop here for the night." Asuma said. The faces of the Daimyo's guards and servants showed the man had been right. This kind of walk was hard on non-shinobi.

Minutes later, they had found the highest quality inn in town and entered the lobby. The receptionist noticed them as Takahiro entered.

"Welcome to… oh, greetings my lord. Are you going to give us the honor of having a Daimyo stay here tonight?" the host said with a bow.

"Yes, and please, there's no need to act in such a manner." Takahiro said. "I'll cover the expenses of my servants and guards."

"Thank you, my lord." the receptionist said.

"You can say that again." Ino said happily. "You heard him guys, everything's on him."

"Let's try not to take advantage of his hospitality." Fu said.

* * *

><p>Ino sighed as she looked to her teammate. The team sat at the cafeteria of the hotel. The food loving Akimichi was eating with his usual enthusiasm, having already finished off ten plates of food while the no one else had finished their first. "Geez Choji, do you always have to eat like this?"<p>

"You should already know the answer to that Ino." Asuma sighed. "At least he doesn't let it interfere with his duties anymore."

"It's not my fault you guys don't appreciate food. At least you're not always dieting anymore." Choji said to Ino.

"You shinobi of Konoha lack discipline. Gorging yourself like this." one of the Daimyo's guards sneered. "Though you do have strong ninja, you lack the killer instinct of Iwa or Suna. I'm surprised you've stayed on top this long."

"You're one to talk." Fu replied. "You're Daimyo must not have a lot of faith in you considering he hired us to help."

"He insisted on hiring additional aid, we don't need your assistance." he said with a glare

"Stop being so critical, Akira." another guard admonished as he joined them. " I apologize for my partner, he has a grudge against Konoha and ninja in general. I'm Atsushi."

"Nice to meet you. Glad to see someone appreciates the help." Ino said.

"Good to see some of you are getting along." Takahiro said as he joined them, having heard the whole affair.

"Hm. We don't need their help. Look, one's not even taking this seriously. Look at the fat one stuffing himself." Akira said. This caused the Konoha ninja to freeze, including Fu who had been told by Naruto how Choji reacted to the subject.

"There's no reason to be rude to our guards. Although, I have to say it can't be good to eat all that. Is it really such a good idea to allow your ninja to get so… large?"

The other leaf ninja looked worriedly to the Akimichi, who had his eyes hidden by shadows, covering an almost murderous glare. He composed himself before looking to the Daimyo. While normally, he'd wail on anyone who said that, there was a VIP present.

"It doesn't affect my performance, milord. In fact, my clan has techniques that function by quickly burning calories, so I have to eat like this, not that I don't want to." Choji said. '_Keep up like that and the lands of Honey and Fire will be at war!_'

"I see, how interesting." The Daimyo said as the rest of the other leaf ninja breathed sighs of relief. "If I may ask, what are the odds of being attacked while we stay here?"

"Pretty slim, but we're not going to let our guard down." Asuma replied. "It'd be better to ambush us. Here, we can set up traps and defenses. If they attacked now, we'd have the advantage, while the opposite is true if they wait. Anyway, we should turn in soon. Tomorrow's the last leg of our journey. We should all get some sleep. I'll take first watch."

* * *

><p>That night, Ino decided to have a walk around the hotel. Asuma was guarding the Daimyo at the moment with the help of a chameleon Fu summoned. A ten foot tall brown chameleon named Katsu which sat on the roof above the Daimyo's room, using it's camouflage abilities to hide himself and used his stereoscopic eyes to watch over the surrounding area. As she walked, she saw Fu leaning against a wall, looking up at the sky.<p>

"Fu? What are you doing out here? Stargazing?" Ino asked as she approached the green haired girl.

"Huh? Oh, hey, Ino. I was just thinking." Fu replied.

"About what?"

"Everything that's happened recently and Naruto's mission."

"You worried about him?" Ino asked as she leaned against the wall beside Fu.

"A little. It is Orochimaru they're dealing with. But I'm really thinking about what will happen if they meet Sasuke. He thinks of him like a brother… and I know Sakura really loves him… you should have seen how she reacted when the Akatsuki member we fought on our last mission implied he had information on Orochimaru." Fu said, looking to the stars. "She was determined to get the information, no matter how big the difference between their skills was."

"Yeah… I'm not surprised to hear that." Ino replied. Fu turned to her.

"Do you still feel that way? Naruto told me you used to compete with Sakura for his attention."

"… I don't know… I still care about him a lot but… I'm not really sure if I really loved him… why do you ask?"

"I was curious… I kind of understand why Naruto wants to bring him back so badly. Sasuke was the first friend he had." Fu said. "But still, I'm not sure I would do the same thing. He betrayed everyone and willingly left the village, all for power. He even tried to kill Naruto." Though she supported Naruto's decision, if she was in his shoes, she'd probably either kill him or forget about him unless he became a threat to Konoha.

Ino looked to Fu. She had heard Naruto was injured badly during his fight with Sasuke but never knew how badly. Naruto had never described the battle to anyone. She didn't know Sasuke had tried to kill the blond, or maybe she had just refused to believe he would. "I heard Sasuke hurt him during the retrieval mission… do you know how badly?" Ino asked.

"Sasuke used Chidori on him… twice." Fu replied, looking to the ground as she imagined how painful that must have been, not just the attack but the fact that it was done by someone he considered a brother.

"What?" Ino asked, a look of horror on her face as she remembered the technique. None of the other members of the Konoha 11 knew that detail. "How did he…? His tenant, right?"

"Yeah… if it wasn't for that…" Fu said sadly.

"I can't believe it… Sasuke couldn't have known about that and he still… how could he do that to a friend?"

"Why did you like him in the first place?"

"He wasn't always like that… I liked him at first because he was cool and handsome… I didn't know much about the massacre then. When I found out, I wanted to help him… but then he started to change… he became darker and darker over time… I still want to help him, but…" Ino trailed off. Being a Yamanaka, she knew a lot about the mind and psychology, though not as much as others. As much as she wished it otherwise, she knew the situation with Sasuke was unlikely to have a happy ending. "… Can I ask what drew you to Naruto? You told us how you got together but… why do you like him?"

"Well… I admired him for a while before we met. Ever since he saved my old village."

"Wait, what?" Ino asked, her eyes wide.

"You didn't hear about it? Naruto and his team escorted the leader of Taki, Shibuki, back home. Soon after they arrived, before they entered the village, a rogue jonin from our village led a group missing-nin and captured all of the civilians and children. He was trying to steal a powerful village treasure and held them hostage in exchange for it. Long story short, Naruto and Sasuke defeated him, with Naruto doing the most damage and he's the one who gave the finishing blow. He also inspired Shibuki to fight. Before that, he was timid, almost cowardly. But thanks to him, Shibuki became a strong leader."

"Wow… I never heard about that. Guess I shouldn't be surprised." Ino said, thinking about what happened with Gaara and how he changed thanks to her fellow blond.

"Yeah… and, well, you know how we met… he wanted to spend time with me because he saw I was alone and didn't want to leave me like that. When I first met him, I wasn't sure I could trust him… I'd been betrayed so many times before that. I decided to give him a chance because he probably didn't know about my tenant. When I found out he was the same as me… I was glad I had someone I could relate to, but sad too, knowing that it was because he had the same kind of life as me. While we were traveling together, he showed himself to be kind, but I already knew that, loyal, determined…"

"You've really fallen for him, haven't you?" Ino asked.

"Yeah… I don't want to think about where I would be if I hadn't met him. If I was left back in Taki." Fu said.

"Is there anything you miss about your old village?"

"The scenery…" Fu shrugged. "I miss Shibuki… that's about it."

"Didn't you have any friends? I mean, Naruto had a bad life, but…"

"No… everyone knew about my tenant and almost everyone hated me… anyone who didn't hate me didn't care enough to bother helping or approaching me except Shibuki and he couldn't do much and was busy most of the time. But that's all in the past. I have Naruto and Ero-sensei, and no one in Konoha seems to care. Though some of the council see us weapons."

"How do you know that?" Fu furrowed her brow as she thought of what Tsunade said to her.

"It's part of the reason I was sent here instead of with Naruto's team. They didn't want to risk both of us on a mission that could be an Akatsuki trap and don't us to working together." Ino glared slightly at hearing that.

"Yeah, well it doesn't matter what they think."

"I know… Naruto already had that conversation with me. As long as I have him and my friends, it doesn't matter what people say." Fu replied with a smile.

"Exactly, and you can consider me one of your friends too." Ino said with a smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Ino replied. "So… you and Naruto have been close for a long time now…"

"Yeah… and?" Fu replied, slightly nervous as Ino smirked.

"And, he's gotten hot over the last three years. So, how was he?"

"Wha-, what? W- we haven't-! How could you ask me something like that?" Fu yelled back with wide eyes and a deep blush. Ino didn't seriously mean it, she was just teasing her. But Fu didn't know that.

"Really? You answered quickly and seem pretty flustered, you hiding something?" Ino grinned. It was fun to tease the green haired girl. She chuckled at Fu's continued protests.

* * *

><p>The next day, the group had reached the Land of Honey. They were only a days journey from the Daimyo's home. The chameleon was traveling by the side of the palanquin, remaining hidden with his camouflage ability. They were approaching a bridge over a river.<p>

"Captain Asuma… up ahead, six ninja… four have chunin level chakra, the other two have jonin level reserves." Fu said. As expected, the other ninja didn't visibly react to her tip off. The guards knew not to interfere in a battle of ninja.

"Alright… let's see what were up against. Ino, Choji, you two stay behind and protect the Daimyo." Asuma said. Minutes later, an umbrella flew into the air from the other side of the bridge and spun around, before unleashing a hail of poison senbon towards the group, Asuma clapped his hands together as his team got ready to battle as the Daimyo's group and the hidden summon backed away.

'_Wind Style: Violent Wind Palm!_' Asuma unleashed a powerful wave of wind which deflected the senbon. Immediately, they found themselves surrounded with clones of three of the chunin, which rose out of the ground as the umbrella fell back down to earth and its owner appeared at the center of the bridge and caught it.

"Well, well… Asuma Sarutobi… what an unexpected surprise. I should have guessed they'd send someone of your caliber." Aoi said with an arrogant smirk.

"Aoi Rokusho." Fu said with a glare.

"Who's this guy?" Ino asked.

"He was an instructor at our village academy until he betrayed us and stole the Raijin no Ken, the weapon of the Second Hokage… so, you threw in your lot with Ame huh?" Asuma said as he drew his trench knives. His students' eyes widened, then narrowed at hearing the man was a traitor from their village.

"Ah, I thought after that I'd be more well known in Konoha… oh well. How about you let me do my job and I'll be on my way." Aoi said.

"Sorry, but this is only my second mission as a ninja of Konoha, it be a shame to fail a mission when I just joined the village, wouldn't it?" Fu said sarcastically. "But, turning in your body and recovering that sword? Now that's a good way to start my career."

"Heh, kids… always thinking they can take on anything… oh well… although I obviously can't offer you my life or my sword, we can offer you a trip to the afterlife." Aoi said and they all sensed something. From the right, a water dragon was speeding towards them. The ninja were forced to scatter, Fu jumping forward toward Aoi, Choji and Ino to the back to protect the Daimyo and Asuma to the side. The jonin brought his blades together to block a downward slash from the Kiku's katana.

"As my student would say, lucky, I'll be famous for taking down a member of the Twelve Ninja Guardians." the kunoichi said with a smirk.

"Well, you got what you wanted." Aoi said as he drew the Raijin no Ken. He activated the legendary weapon, causing a yellow blade which crackled with lightning to emanate from the hilt. "It's a shame, you abandoned your home only to join such a weak village."

"I didn't abandon anything." Fu said with narrowed eyes as she summoned Okibi no Yaiba.

"Then you were thrown away… now I know this'll be easy." Fu snarled as she channeled chakra into her blade, surrounding it with flame before charging forward. Aoi slashed his blade, which produced a humming sound as it sailed through the air. Despite seemingly being made of lightning, the blade produced the normal clang of metal meeting metal when it collided with Fu's sword. The chakra coursing through her sword partially defended her against the Raijin's powers, but the blades yellow lightning still found its way through the blade. "Hm… you've got an interesting sword there… maybe I should start a collection after I take it." Aoi said as they

Fu barely heard his comment about her sword. She barely noticed her hands going numb from the Raijin's power. Hearing his taunt brought back memories and feelings from her home village. Their mistreatment, how they threw her away to protect themselves and, worst still, how they considered simply allowing Akatsuki to take her.

Her guard weakened by the electricity coursing through her extremities, Aoi managed to push her back. Fu jumped back and quickly stopped channeling raw chakra through her sword, flowing lightning through it instead to counter the famed sword's powers. Aoi charged forward and locked blades with the green haired girl, blue and yellow lightning arced from the two swords as their bearers tried to overpower each other.

"Take that back." Fu said quietly, her eyes hidden by shadow.

"What?"

"Take back what you said."

"Oh, about your village throwing you away? Considering your reaction, it seems I hit the nail on the head. Sorry if the truth hurts. Don't worry, you won't have to deal with it much longer, soon you'll all be out of your misery."

Aoi's eyes widened as she pushed him back before punching him in the face hard enough to send him back a few feet. The man glared at her with blood trailing down from his nose as Fu stared at him with eyes full of anger.

"You'll pay for that, you bitch."

* * *

><p>Choji and Ino were having trouble. They had quickly found that the clones surrounding them, haze clones to be precise, were not real like shadow clones, but there were water clones mixed in. Choji used his Partial Expansion Jutsu and swept his arm across several of the clones. Many of them, be they haze or water clones to keep up the illusion, jumped out of the way, but ten of them were caught, three of which turned into water clones. Ino jumped back as a hand holding a kunai reached out of the ground from behind her and attempted to cut a leg tendon.<p>

"Choji! The real ones are underground!" Ino yelled and Choji used his Expansion Jutsu and gathered so much chakra into his hands that it became visible before slamming his palms into the ground. The attack devastated the ground and the two ex-Ame chunin jumped out of the ground and away from the leaf ninja as a black mist entered the sky and began to form a small cloud above the Daimyo's palanquin.

"What the hell?" one of the chunin, Mubi said. "Oh well, they're too late anyway."

The cloud dispersed and oil began to rain down on the Daimyo's palanquin, only a wave of water to come out of no where and wash it way.

"What?" Oboro asked in shock before there was a powerful impact on a nearby tree, shattering it and several behind it. Their fourth teammate, who had hidden himself to take out the Daimyo if that plan failed, had been sent flying by the invisible force that washed away the oil. Katsu shifted into view in a tree above the Daimyo. "Damn, it's a summon." Oboro cursed before he was suddenly literally and figuratively stabbed in the back. "What?" he asked, gurgling on blood at the end. His last sight was his teammate, Mubi holding the kunai that killed him.

"What… the girl must be a Yamanaka…" Kagari said. Aoi had told them about some of Konoha's clans and their abilities, with them being one to watch out for. Choji charged at the tree he was hidden in and knocked it down with a single punch. He then skipped back to Ino's body as Ino in Mubi's body charged forward with a kunai.

Kagari drew his own kunai and the two clashed.

* * *

><p>Asuma clashed with Kiku in an impressive display of skill. The woman had the wind nature too and channeled wind through her sword to counter his trench knives. After a few moments passed, Asuma jumped back and made the bird hand sign before he placed his hands in front of his mouth, one above and one below.<p>

'_Wind Style: Dust Cloud Jutsu!_' Asuma breathed out a powerful stream of wind infused with dust particles. The rain jonin dodged to the side and the attack destroyed half the branches of a tree caught in it's path. Kiku made hand signs of her own as she dodged.

"Water Clone Jutsu!" ten water clones arose from the nearby water before charging Asuma. Asuma met the clones and destroyed three with a single slash of his trench knives. He quickly cut the rest down, only being at one tenth the original's strength, they were no match He threw the trench knife on his left hand through the last clone before he looked around and realized the rain ninja was gone.

Another water dragon charged at him, but this time, instead of dodging, he stood his ground and got into the stance taught to him at the Fire Temple. his left hand making a half-ram and then extending their right hand down with his palm parallel to the ground and a calm, angelic spiritual statue appeared behind him.

"Raigo: Thousand Hand Strike!" countless fists struck out from the spirit and pummeled the dragon into oblivion. Its final punch went to the kunoichi but when struck she dissolved into water. To his shock, she came out of the water with an upward slash of her sword and he narrowly dodged, gaining a scratch across his vest. As he jumped back, he made sure she was now in between him and the thrown trench knife.

"Looks like this is the end!" The kunoichi yelled as she charged forward.

"You're right about one thing." Asuma replied as he made a hand sign, causing his blade to levitate and fly through the air. It impaled the kunoichi from behind through her stomach. She looked down with wide eyes before Asuma quickly slashed her throat.

* * *

><p>Aoi dodged a dragon of fire before he charged forward with a slash which Fu easily blocked, once more channeling lightning through her blade to counter the Raijin's powers. It seemed Aoi only got to jonin by relying on the blade. His skill met the bare minimum requirements for his rank. Fu retaliated and the two exchanged blows which soon left the arrogant jonin on the defensive. He sported several minor wounds where as Fu was perfectly fine. The kunoichi had calmed down a bit now, with the Raijin's powers ineffective against her, the battle was largely one sided.<p>

"Damn it! Just die already!" Aoi yelled as he brought his blade down on her.

"Well… since you asked nicely." Fu replied snarkily as she raised her blade in defense, blocking the fairly powerful slash. She then kicked him in the chest, sending the missing-nin flying back as Fu swept her hand through the air.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Needles!" dozens of needles made of pure lightning flew from her hand. Aoi recovered and brought the Raijin no Ken up, swiping it through the air and leaving a trail of energy which blocked the needles before he grabbed his umbrella and threw it into the air.

"Enough! Take this, Ninja Art: Senbon Shower!" Senbon once more rained down towards his target, but the green haired teen countered with Water Style: Water Wall, once the senbon stopped, she jumped into the air as Aoi attempted to electrocute the water and made the tiger hand sign.

'_Water Style: Liquid Bullet!_' Fu spat several high speed balls of water at the missing-nin. Aoi dodged and sliced through the water bullets and clashed blades with Fu again.

After ducking underneath a slash from Aoi, Fu slashed upwards. Aoi jumped back to dodge and Fu lunged forward. They continued to exchange blows, Aoi on the defensive, until once until Fu raised her hand and a swarm of insects emerged from her sleeve. Aoi jumped back as Fu stabbed her sword into the ground and ran through hand signs.

Aoi suddenly found himself constricted by the bark of a tree, Fu running forward to finish him. Realizing the kunoichi had cast an illusion, he shocked himself with the Raijin to break it. Aoi smirked as he stabbed his blade forward, certain Fu wouldn't be able to dodge. His eyes widened as he his sword passed through her and she dispersed into insects. The real Fu emerged from the ground in with an upward slash of her blade. The Ame jonin was powerless to stop the girl from cutting him deeply across his stomach and chest. Blood arched into the air. He jumped back and clutched at his wound as he struggled to remain standing as he coughed up more of his blood.

"This… this can't be… I'm Aoi Rokusho… wielder of the Raijin no Ken… I can't be defeated by some no name little girl…" Aoi said.

"Didn't you say this would be easy? That I was just a weakling thrown away by my village?" Fu asked. "You rely too much on that sword, I doubt you'd have lasted this long without it."

"I… I won't die here!" Aoi roared before charging forward, desperate to survive the encounter and Fu met his attacks, choosing to go on the defensive. Soon, Aoi's attacks grew weak from blood loss. Fu locked blades with him one final time and pushed her blade upward, disarming the Ame ninja. Fu stabbed the now unarmed Aoi through the chest, finishing off the traitorous ninja as the Raijin no Ken sailed through the air. Aoi's eyes widened before the life left them and Fu let him fall to the ground.

Fu resealed her blade and picked up the Raijin no Ken. "I wonder if I'll be allowed to keep this…" Fu thought out loud as she activated the blade. Not only was the blade extremely valuable, both monetarily and in combat, Aoi had a bounty of 15 million on his head. Even if she had to return the sword, the compensation would be substantial, though she would prefer to keep it. After making sure the others were fine and discovering they were just finishing their battles, Fu sealed the body and blade into separate scrolls before she rejoined her team. Choji had the unconscious Mubi slung over his shoulder.

"You guys alright?" Fu asked.

"We got lucky with our opponents and your chameleon helped." Choji said.

"I didn't have much trouble." Asuma said.

"Think that's the last of them?" Ino asked.

"Possibly. Luckily, we have someone who just happens to know everything, don't we?" Asuma replied as he turned to the unconscious Mubi.

* * *

><p>Night had fallen and Team Yamato had almost reached their destination. They walked into a small clearing and Yamato decided this was a suitable location for their base.<p>

"Alright, this should do." Yamato said before making hand signs. "Wood Style: Four Pillar House Technique!" A large, two story wooden house sprang from the ground. The rest of the team shielded their eyes as wood fragments shot into the air before they looked to the house to see Yamato sitting on the roof. "We'll camp here for the night."

"I wouldn't call this camping…" Sakura said as she looked at the structure. Yamato then placed seal tags on the building to prevent them from being detected and the group headed inside. They all stayed in a large room that took up most of the second floor.

"Everyone, come here for a bit. And Sakura, there's something I'd like you to tell me."

"What is it?"

"It's about Sasori of the Akatsuki. What I got from Sasori's file from Suna was good but tell me about his personality and characteristics because you're the only one here who's ever seen the real Sasori." Yamato explained.

"So you're planning to impersonate Sasori?" Naruto asked.

"Right, that's the best way to approach the spy, even though he may see through it."

"Being a spy if risky, so he'll probably be on guard." Sai noted.

"Just in case this is an Akatsuki trap, I'll go in alone. You will be on standby and await my instructions." Yamato said.

"Given that there was an Akatsuki spy in Suna, Yura and that he said it when he was going to die, I don't think he was lying." Sakura said.

"The spy is likely extremely skilled." Sai said.

"Hey, Naruto, can you use that perception technique to look out?" Sakura asked.

"Of course, I'll keep an eye on everything." Naruto replied.

After this, Yamato explained that this was purely a capture mission and that they were going to be separated into two teams, Naruto and Sai and Yamato and Sakura and their strategy of they failed to restrain him.

* * *

><p>The next day, they sparred in a clearing. Naruto and Sai were facing Yamato, Sai hiding while Naruto engaged the jonin in taijutsu. Yamato was on the defensive as Naruto had a large advantage in both strength and speed. Naruto threw a punch to Yamto's face which he blocked but Naruto followed up with a kick to the stomach. As Yamato went through the air, he sensed something behind him and saw Sai coming down with his tanto in a downward slash. Yamato quickly drew a kunai and blocked with it before jumping out of the way of an axe kick from Naruto. Yamato threw the kunai which Sai deflected as he and Naruto charged forward before and Yamato ran through hand signs. Several wood tendrils burst from the ground and captured the teens, both of which burst into smoke.<p>

'_They were both shadow clones?_' Yamato thought before a pair of hands burst from the ground, holding him in place. At this moment, an ink serpent made his way to the jonin and wrapped around him. Naruto rose out of the ground with a smirk.

"That was pretty good." Yamato complimented as Sakura walked into the clearing.

"Couldn't you have pulled him underground?" Sai asked as he walked out.

"I could, but he has the Wood Style, which means he has the earth and water affinities, he probably could have broken out." Naruto replied.

"That's right. Good call, Naruto." Yamato said.

"Thanks, but I have to ask, how do you have the First Hokage's bloodline?" Naruto asked.

"… I was the only survivor of one of Orochimaru's experiments. He merged the genetic material of the First into children… I was the only success."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's alright. You didn't know and you had nothing to do with it." Yamato said. There was a brief silence after this before Naruto turned to Sai.

"Hey, Sai, you said you have a brother right?" Naruto asked.

"That's correct." Sai replied.

"Then do you have understand how Sakura and I feel at all? With Sasuke not being here?" Naruto asked. He wanted to see if Sai was truly emotionless.

"Not quite." Sai said. "I don't have what you call emotions… though I do understand what it's like as far as him not being here, because my brother's already dead." he replied with his smile.

'_He…_' Sakura thought as she recalled what Naruto had told her as she watched Sai say something like that without losing his smile.

"If that's true, then why do you make those drawings? And why do you still carry around that book you were drawing for your brother?" Naruto asked.

"… I… don't know. When I draw, I don't really feel anything… and I don't know why I keep my brothers book around." Sai replied.

"I may not be an artist, but I know that things like that are meant to express the feelings of the artist, even if it's not enough for you to feel any attachment to what you draw, if you were really completely emotionless, you wouldn't be able to. Nothing would inspire you to draw anything and you probably wouldn't even bother trying. That book probably wouldn't matter to you enough to keep it around either. Can I ask you why you started drawing?"

"My brother encouraged me to…" Sai replied, thinking about it. Sai's superiors had always been disapproving of his drawing. He began to recall his brother of sorts, Shin. "… Since I answered your question, let me ask you something in return. Sasuke abandoned the village, tried to kill you and seriously injured you. Why do you still think of him as a comrade? Why do you and Sakura wish to bring him back so badly?"

"It's because he's like a brother to me. As long as there's still a chance, I'll do anything to save him."

"And what about you, Sakura?"

"I… I care about him… I want him back more than anything." Sakura answered somewhat sadly.

"Alright, that's enough talking. It's time to set out." Yamato said.

* * *

><p>They traveled for the rest of the day and arrived at the Tenchi bridge the next morning. The three teens hid in their positions, downwind of the bridge as Yamato approached the meeting place, having used his wood element to create a duplicate of Sasori's Hiruko puppet. Waiting on the center of the bridge was a man hidden in a hooded cloak.<p>

"It's been a long time, Lord Sasori." the hooded man said. He then removed his hood to reveal himself to be Kabuto Yakushi. When they saw this, Sakura's eyes widened as Naruto's narrowed. "It's been five years."

"Were you followed?" Yamato asked, imitating Sasori perfectly.

"No, it's safe."

"How are you?"

"When your jutsu was lifted and I remembered who I really was, it was disorientating. I still feel somewhat heavy-headed."

* * *

><p>From their hiding place, hidden behind some bushes downwind of the exchange, Naruto, Sakura and Sai watched over the pair. Naruto's eyes widened and his head jerked to the forest behind on the other side of the bridge as he sensed a powerful, dark chakra appear.<p>

"Damn it! I knew it, I had a bad feeling about all this from the moment I saw Kabuto." he almost growled.

"What is it? You sense something?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah. He must have been hiding underground."

"How many are there?" Sakura asked with a furrowed brow.

"Just one… but this chakra… it's Orochimaru."

"Orochimaru? Are you sure?" Sakura asked with wide eyes. He nodded and her eyes narrowed. Sai said nothing as he listened and watched the exchange between Yamato and the spy.

* * *

><p>Back on the bridge, Yamato had no idea of the danger, there was no way for the teens to contact him, all they could do was watch and wait for someone to make a move.<p>

"I have some questions for you." the disguised jonin said.

"There's not much time, it was risky sneaking away from Orochimaru like this."

"Tell me about the location of your base."

"We have many bases, to keep from being discovered we move weekly. There are, of course, bases in other countries besides the sound." Kabuto explained. "Orochimaru's spies enter those countries and guide us. Our current base is hidden on a small island in the middle of a lake to the north. We will move from there in three days. Sasuke Uchiha is also there." as soon as he finished, both Kabuto and Yamato sensed something. Kabuto threw a kunai, only to find the source of the sound to be a rabbit which promptly jumped back into the bush. "Just a rabbit?… by the way, regarding the orders you gave me…" now Yamato knew he may be in trouble. "After transferring to a new body, Orochimaru used a barrier jutsu to protect his former vessel, I was unable to retrieve a cell sample from it."

"I see." Yamato replied.

"I can't afford to be here any longer. Give me the item if you please." Kabuto said before extending his hand out to receive whatever the item was, the light reflecting off his glasses and obscuring his eyes but his expression seemed slightly worried. He was rightfully so, considering what Orochimaru was capable of. "I will be killed if I'm seen with you."

"Right." Yamato said '_It has to be now!_' He thought as he discretely drew one of his kunai. He was just about to charge Kabuto, when possibly the worst possible scenario occurred. A sinister voice was heard from out of nowhere.

"You seem to be having an interesting conversation." Suddenly, Orochimaru appeared behind Kabuto, a snake coiled around him and medic-nin. "Mind if I join in?"

Yamato cursed his luck as Kabuto escaped by jumping out of his cloak, which was left in the grip of the snake which quickly slithered towards them only to be killed by Yamato's kunai.

"Thank you, Lord Sasori, I wouldn't have been able to escape if you hadn't drawn your kunai." Kabuto said as he readied himself to fight for his life.

'_That bought me some time…_' Yamato assessed the situation. '_But what do I do now that Orochimaru is here?_'

"Ah, Sasori…" Orochimaru drawled. "Seeing you like that takes me back."

"So you tailed Kabuto…" Yamato said, trying to buy more time to think.

"Why the harsh tone? I only wanted to thank you." Orochimaru replied with a grin. "To develop new jutsu, I would have needed hundreds of bodies to experiment on, but thanks to him, I could use the same ones countless times. Helpful, considering how hard it is to get test subjects."

As Yamato continues to think of how to best handle the situation, capture Kabuto and escape from Orochimaru, Kabuto activated his medical scalpels and raised his hand to attack. Much to the surprise of the Konoha ninja, he turned on 'Sasori' and cut the head of the false Hiruko, exposing a shocked Yamato. Yamato jumped into the air to evade further attack. Seeing movement, he looked to the Sannin and saw him raise his hand.

"Multiple Striking Shadow Snakes!" Around a dozen snakes emerged from Orochimaru's sleeve and shot towards the jonin. In seconds, Yamato was ensnared by the serpents,

"A Wood Style Replacement… you couldn't be…" Orochimaru said as his snakes returned to his sleeve.

"Lord Orochimaru… is that Sasori's real body?" Kabuto asked.

"No… Kabuto, even though you were his subordinate you didn't know what he looked like?"

"He's very secretive… always hiding in one of his puppets."

"What's going on here?" Yamato asked while he held onto his arm which had been nicked by Kabuto. "Kabuto, as an Akatsuki spy, you should have been controlled by their jutsu."

"Hm, Lord Orochimaru dispelled that jutsu long ago." Kabuto replied.

"So, you faked being controlled and switched sides at the last second… I guess you fell prey to Orochimaru's jutsu instead of Sasori's."

"Not at all." Kabuto replied with a smile. "The only thing I've fallen prey to is Lord Orochimaru's way of thinking. I'm acting of my own free will. Who are you anyway? The purpose of this operation was to kill Sasori, but it looks like we've made a mistake."

"Patience, Kabuto. First, why don't you call out your three little helpers." Orochimaru said.

Seeing no alternative, Yamato called out his allies with a wave of his hand and Naruto, Sakura and Sai sprang from the forest, each landing in front of him in a crouch.

"… You again…" Kabuto said with a slightly cruel smile while Orochimaru chuckled.

"The Kyuubi child is here too… why am I not surprised? I've heard about the progress you've made under Jiraiya. Let's have a little fun, shall we? I want to see who's stronger, you or Sasuke." Orochimaru said with a sadistic smirk.

"Orochimaru…" Naruto growled.

"We're taking Sasuke back." Sakura said with a scowl.

"My, my. How confident you've become, Sakura. I remember the last time I saw you; you were completely hopeless, fawning over Sasuke and being protected by your teammates. I hear you've become Tsunade's apprentice, I look forward to seeing the three of you meet after so long… it should be an interesting test for Sasuke." Orochimaru said.

"Naruto, I wonder, have you really gotten any stronger, or is it just the Kyuubi?" Kabuto asked with a smirk.

"Funny, didn't think you'd say something like that after what happened last time, but if you really want to find out, it'll cost your life." Naruto replied before firing a Beast Wave Palm with a swipe of his hand. Kabuto's eyes widened while Orochimaru continued to smirk. Kabuto jumped back to avoid the attack which collided with the bridge where he'd been standing, kicking up a cloud of debris. Both the rouge ninja were shocked when the blade came out of the cloud and Kabuto ducked while Orochimaru leaned back to dodge. Kabuto's eyes widened when Naruto suddenly appeared out of the dust cloud in front of him with a Rasengan in his right hand.

Kabuto cried out in pain as the orb of chakra slammed into his chest and sent him spinning through the air towards Orochimaru. The snake Sannin side stepped the man who continued along his path and collided with a ground in an explosion of dirt and debris and smirked as Naruto charged him. The blond summoned three shuriken to his hand and infused them with wind chakra before throwing them. As the shuriken flew through the air, wind extended from their blades, extending the weapons range and cutting power. As Orochimaru effortlessly weaved around the projectiles, Naruto's eyes widened as he sensed Kabuto Body Flicker behind his comrades.

"Captain Yamato, behind you!" the blond yelled as he stopped his charge. The jonin's eyes widened and turned his head to see Kabuto behind him. He jumped back to join Sakura and Sai, who had been watching for an opening but was nicked across his chest by a chakra scalpel. The jonin raised his hand and a wooden branch extended from his palm, Kabuto jumped back and dodged the tendril. While this happened, Orochimaru saw Naruto was distracted and launched his Kusanagi from his mouth. The blade flew through the air towards the blond, only for Naruto to summon his Hisho Taichi and deflected it. The Kusanagi was imbedded into the ground and a moment later, it turned into a snake and slithered back to Orochimaru and to his hand before returning to its sword form.

"How?" Sakura asked, they could see Kabuto lying beneath a broken tree.

"I replaced myself with a corpse I altered to look like me; I even reanimated it to complete the illusion." Kabuto said with a sadistic smirk of his own. "So, Lord Orochimaru, who is this guy? How is it he can use that jutsu? Is he an experiment of yours?"

"That's correct. I coveted the First's Wood Style techniques and his ability to bend the Biju to his will, so after I obtained his genes from his remains, I spliced his genetic traits into 60 different children, but their bodies didn't like the foreign DNA to say the least, they died, one after the other. I thought they all had succumbed but I see one survived." Orochimaru replied.

"I see… then this is a chance to get your hands on some long overdue research sample, isn't it." Kabuto replied and Orochimaru chuckled.

"Right you are, but first, I'm want to see just how much this boy has grown." Orochimaru replied. "Well boy, you and the girl want to know more about Sasuke, don't you? Why don't you force it out of me?"

"Gladly." Naruto replied. He threw his blade into the air and made three shadow clones which charged at Kabuto while he caught the blade and went for Orochimaru. Their swords collided and Orochimaru was slightly surprised his Kusanagi couldn't cut through the blue blade.

"What an interesting sword you have." Orochimaru said as they pushed against each others blade, neither gaining any ground. "That craftsmanship… the Village of Artisans?"

"Good eye, though I shouldn't be surprised." Naruto replied before the two disengaged and began to exchange blows.

"Sai, help Naruto! We'll handle Kabuto." Yamato ordered and the pale teen nodded and ran forward, summoning a bird of ink and jumping into the air.

"Still relying shadow clones? How disappointing." Kabuto taunted before as he blocked some taijutsu attacks from the clones, only for his eyes to widen as they exploded, sending him flying to the other side of the bridge while Yamato and Sakura ran towards the downed medic-nin. Yamato create a Wood Clone as they went to watch Naruto's battle.

Naruto and Orochimaru continued to exchange blows before the Sannin skipped back and unleashed several snakes from his sleeve which wrapped around and bit Naruto, only for the blond to burst into smoke. Suddenly, the Sannin was cut in half by a wind blade from behind, only for him to melt away into mud. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he looked to a tree branch where the Sannin stood. They were now on the opposite side of the bridge from Sakura, Yamato and Kabuto.

"I must say, Jiraiya taught you well." Orochimaru said. "But do you honestly think you can defeat me boy?"

"Maybe." Not really to be honest. He knew Jiraiya was still stronger than him and according to the Toad Sage, he could force a stalemate with the man. Still, if he won, it wouldn't be the first time someone defeated a superior opponent. "I don't know, the Akatsuki must see me as a bigger threat than you for some reason." Naruto replied and the Sannin narrowed his eyes.

"It seems I'll have to show you to respect your betters." Orochimaru replied. Naruto smirked at having successfully gotten a rise out of the Sannin.

* * *

><p>Kabuto stood, already almost fully healed as Yamato and Sakura reached him. He had a sense of déjà vu as Sakura jumped into the air and came down in an axe kick which shattered the ground where he had been a moment ago. The rouge medic jumped into the air as a mass of branches exploded out of the ground. He quickly jumped off one of the braches and leaped from one to another as they continued to grow before sliding down one, reactivating his chakra scalpels along the way.<p>

He and Sakura engaged each other in taijutsu, each only needed a single hit to cause serious damage. Kabuto ducked under a punch from the pink haired girl and swept her feet out from under her before catch her across the shin with his scalpel, once again he was forced to jump back as wooden tendrils attempted to ensnare him.

"Sakura, you alright?" Yamato asked.

"He got my leg tendon, I'll have it healed in a minute." Sakura replied as she placed her hand, glowing with green chakra, to the damaged area.

"Tsunade taught you medical jutsu and her inhuman strength, I see." Kabuto said with a sadistic smirk, the sunlight reflecting off his glasses and hiding his eyes. "But is this the best you can do? How disappointing. But then, you've always been the useless baggage, weighing down the team, haven't you?"

"Shut up!"

"What's wrong? I'm just stating facts. Back when we took the exam, you couldn't do anything. You just sat back and let your teammates do all the fighting, expecting Sasuke to be your knight in shining armor. You really needed a wake up call. You finally got it when Sasuke left, and this is all you've learned? You know, this is probably part of the reason Sasuke left." Kabuto replied. Sakura had healed her leg and glared at the grey haired man.

"Sakura, I want you to get back." Yamato said, fearing the girl would let her anger get the better of her.

"I'm fine, Captain Yamato. I won't let him get to me." Sakura replied.

"Heh, let's make this quick. I'm curious about the Wood Style myself. I look forward to seeing what we can do with such a test subject."

* * *

><p>Orochimaru gracefully leapt from tree to tree, dodging Wind Style: Air Bullets launched by Naruto clones in the air. Finally, he jumped to the ground where he leaned back to dodge Naruto who came out of the ground in an upward slash. Orochimaru raised his Kusanagi in defense and blocked a powerful downward slash from the blond. While he was fighting, Naruto was using his perception technique to watch his teammates and their fight, having a few escape plans in mind for when they caught Kabuto. He also noted Sai wasn't doing anything. He was just watching, along with Yamato's clone. Naruto knew he was lucky. It seemed the Sannin wasn't at full strength, even better, he was holding back, obviously finding the battle amusing.<p>

Naruto skipped back as his clones shot more Air Bullets, which Orochimaru dodged. Naruto used the dust kicked up by the attack as a smokescreen and impaled the Sannin, only for him to turn out to be another Earth Style: Shadow Clone. Sensing through his jutsu where Orochimaru was he turned to where the Snake Sannin hid dozens of yard away.

'_Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!_' Orochimaru unleashed a powerful gust of wind at the blond. Naruto raised his sword and prepared to counter the approaching windstorm.

"Wind Style: Wind Cutting Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as he slashed the air just as the squall Orochimaru produced reached him. The Snake Sannin was shocked as his wind jutsu was cut through, it then reformed into a whirlwind that quickly traveled back to him. The attack devastated the forest, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Naruto sensed Orochimaru sink into the ground to avoid the attack and jumped as the Sannin visibly tore through the earth towards him. The moment after he jumped, the ground erupted beneath the blond and he quickly inhaled and breathed out a stream of wind and propelled himself into a nearby tree as the Kusanagi's blade extended from the resulting dust cloud. Naruto managed to avoid the blade as he flew to and landed on the branch of a tree. The dust cleared to show Orochimaru standing there with a smirk. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he sensed another clone of Orochimaru attack his shadow clones and dispel them. Fortunately, those weren't all the clones the blond had hidden.

A shadow clone attacked the Snake Sannin from behind, throwing a few wind enhanced kunai which the Sannin weaved around and summoning a wind blade as it closed the distance. The clones detonated when it reached the Snake Sannin and the man was seemingly caught in the explosion, but Naruto sensed him replace himself with another Earth Style: Shadow Clone. Orochimaru burst from the ground and impaled the blond, only for him to turn into another shadow clone. Orochimaru smirked as he searched for the blond.

The Snake Sannin's smirk fell and his eyes narrowed as he felt himself fall under a genjutsu. "Genjutsu? Really? My, you have improved; even I thought that was impossible for a Jinchuriki." Orochimaru said before shattering the genjutsu, only to sense something was still off. '_Double False Surroundings._' Orochimaru immediately realized before he was cut in half, the illusion fell to reveal Naruto had thrown another wind blade with a slash of his sword. As Orochimaru's upper body sailed through the air, snakes erupted from the two halves of his body and began to pull him back together.

Naruto's eyes widened as he saw this and he quickly decided that he'd have none of that. He lunged forward and impaled the Sannin through the heart moments before he could finish pulling himself back together. The Sannin's eyes widened and he grabbed the sword by the hilt. Naruto looked up at the Sannin's shocked face only to see it twist into a sinister smirk. Two hands reached out of Orochimaru's mouth and stretched it open revealing an unharmed Orochimaru.

Naruto quickly let go of his sword, its hilt still in the clutches of the now lifeless shell Orochimaru left behind and jumped away before Orochimaru could retaliate. As he flew backwards through the air, he swept his hand and launched a few Beast Wave Palms at the Sannin. The Sannin freed himself from the mouth of his shed body, his lower body now resembling a serpent's tail and snaked his way around the blades of wind as he quickly closed the distance between himself and Naruto, but just as he reached the blond, he summoned Hisho Taichi back to his hand. Orochimaru was caught off guard and stabbed him through his neck.

Naruto could sense Orochimaru had replaced himself again before the clone he'd just run through even began to fall apart and jumped back, but he wasn't fast enough. The Snake Sannin burst from the ground and punched him in the jaw, sending him spinning through the air, blood flying from his mouth. The Sannin stood, his lower body returning to normal as he watched the blond flip in the air land in a crouch. Orochimaru smirked as he made the bird hand sign. Naruto's instincts told him to get off the ground and he jumped into the air, barely avoiding being impaled by stone spikes which suddenly sprang from the ground. He landed on a branch and leapt from tree to tree as more spikes of stone tore down them down and pursued the blond.

Naruto resealed Hisho Taichi and summoned the Kiba blades. He jumped to out of the tree and turned around in the air, now facing the Sannin and the approaching spikes. Lightning coursed around his blades as he landed and impaled them into the ground when he landed, unleashing a wave of lightning that tore through the ground, disrupting Orochimaru's attack as it traveled to the Snake Sannin.

'_That's… the Kiba blades? My, he certainly has picked up some interesting things._' Orochimaru thought, his smirk not wavering as the lightning grew closer. He ran through hand signs and used Wind Style: Great Breakthrough again to counter the attack.

Naruto was hit by the gust of wind and sent flying back, colliding with a tree hard enough to shatter the bark. He landed on his feet and his eyes widened as Orochimaru appeared before him, his Kusanagi ready to impale him. Naruto parried the legendary blade with the Kiba swords in a cross guard and barely managed to avoid certain death. He leapt back and got into a stance before once again engaging the serpentine man in a kenjutsu match. This time; he had the upper hand with two swords. He parried a downward slash with both blades and kicked Orochimaru in the stomach. The Sannin staggered backwards, giving the blond an opening and Naruto lunged forward and cross slashed him across the torso, only for him to melt away into mud once again. His head jerked around as he felt Orochimaru appear on the branch of a tree a few dozen yards behind him. The Sannin had stabbed his sword into the branch and made the ram hand sign.

'_Wind Style: Pressure Damage!_' Orochimaru fired a highly compressed ball of wind at the blond. He barely had time to dodge, jumping back as the ball hit the ground where he stood only a moment ago. The ball of wind erupted into a massive wind maelstrom that tore the nearby trees from the ground and sent Naruto flying into another tree, only to burst into smoke on impact.

Orochimaru scanned the area, searching for the Jinchuriki for a moment before vines grew out of the branch of the tree, wrapping around him. Realizing he was under another genjutsu, he quickly dispelled it and jumped out of the tree, avoiding a powerful mass of lightning from behind which destroyed the tree he had been standing on moments ago, leaving nothing but a charred, jagged stump. Naruto was more skilled with the Kiba blades themselves than their previous wielder, but far less skilled than Raiga had been with their lightning powers, fortunately, he had the advantage of having far more chakra to channel into them, allowing for more powerful attacks.

Orochimaru turned around just as Naruto lunged out of his hiding spot. He brought both swords down in an overhead slash and locked blades with the traitorous Sannin. "I must admit, you've improved far more than I expected." Orochimaru chuckled as they pushed against each other. "How intriguing, and all this without using the Kyuubi's power. I can't tell who's stronger, you or Sasuke. Perhaps I should kill you here after all. Sasuke will be disappointed but at this rate, you may become too much of a threat."

"Sorry, but I'm not going to die. Not until I become Hokage." Naruto replied with a smirk of his own.

"Some things never change, I see." Orochimaru commented before they pushed off each other. They two stood several feet apart, facing each other. "I wonder, how is it you knew about this meeting? The only way Sasori would have told you is if he died. Such a shame, I looked forward to analyzing his puppet body. Tell me, was it you that killed him?"

"No, but I took out his partner." Naruto answered.

"Interesting." The Sannin said with his sadistic smirk before the two began to exchange blows again. Naruto jumped into the air, channeling a large amount of chakra into his swords and brought them down on the Sannin. The blades were surrounded in a powerful mass of lightning. Orochimaru jumped back to avoid the attack, which collided with the ground in an explosion of dust and arcs of lightning. Inside the dust cloud, Naruto channeled a massive amount of chakra into the twin swords and held them above his head in an x formation. The dust was blown away and revealed the blonde's form consumed by lightning.

"Ninja Art: Lightning Devastation!" The blond unleashed a massive wave of lightning at the Sannin which devastated the area, leaving a path of destruction and the burnt, broken remains of trees in its path.

Near the end of the trail of destruction, Orochimaru lay flat on the ground with a smirk, unharmed by the attack. He opened his mouth and released a torrent of countless snakes. As they approached, Naruto resealed the Kiba blades and summoned two shadow clones.

'_Toad Oil Bullet!_' The first clone spit out a huge mass of oil.

'_Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!_' the second clone breathed out a powerful stream of fire whilc the real Naruto pulled his fist back before making a punching motion.

"Wind Style: Whirlwind Fist!" A giant whirlwind was unleashed from his fist. The attacks combined to form a raging inferno which incinerated the snakes and Orochimaru was caught in the flames. The conflagration was clearly visible from where Kabuto, Sakura and Yamato were fighting and they briefly stopped at the sight of the flames.

Naruto stood on a branch of a tree at the edge of the scar the attack left in the earth. There were still lingering flames in various spots on the ground and several trees were burning. At the center of the charred earth was Orochimaru, lying face down. His lower body incinerated and the rest of his body badly burnt. Naruto couldn't feel the Snake Sannin with his wind sensing but wasn't taking any chances. That could mean the Sannin was just underground and he doubted the Sannin was truly dead.

His suspicions were confirmed as countless snakes burst from the ground and quickly shot towards the blond, copies of the Kusanagi emerged from their mouths as they closed in from all sides. Naruto jumped high into the air as the snakes moved closer and summoned a kunai with an explosive note. He threw it and ran through hand signs, using the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique to multiply the weapon, creating a hail of explosive kunai. The kunai cut through the serpents and any who avoided being killed died when the kunai detonated. As soon as he landed, Orochimaru burst from the ground and he barely managed to avoid being impaled by the Kusanagi. He was forced to dodge several strikes from the legendary blade. He began channeling the Kyuubi's power to enhance his speed, though he still gained a few cuts across his arms and one on his shoulder dodging the blade. After barely avoiding a slash across the chest, he channeled as much chakra as he could into his legs and jumped back.

Orochimaru opened his mouth and his tongue shot out and wrapped around Naruto's neck. Orochimaru smirked as the blond grabbed his tongue and struggled until a visible aura of red chakra covered the blond and his hands turned to claws, his canines grew into fangs and his eyes turned red with slit pupils. The Sannin winced as the malevolent chakra burned his tongue and Naruto used his now enhanced strength to unwrap the Sannin's tongue from his neck and used it to swing him across the clearing and through a tree. He then pulled him in and delivered a devastating blow to the man's face, sending him flying back through another tree with greater force, the Sannin lay in a sitting position at the base of a tree after the attack, the Kusanagi laying on the ground. Naruto created a Rasengan three times the size of a normal one and used his enhanced speed to charge forward and slammed it into the Sannin's chest before he could recover.

"Giant Rasengan!" The orb of chakra tore into his chest and released a wave of power on contact, tearing up the ground and blowing away nearby trees before driving the Sannin through the ground deeper into the forest and away from the blond.

Hidden by the trees, the Sannin lay in extreme pain, his body broken before he once again used his Body Shedding Technique. As entertaining as he was finding the fight, he knew he would have to end it soon. That technique required a lot of chakra and the body he was in was beginning to reject him. It was time to stop playing around.

Naruto looked in the direction Orochimaru had disappeared in and suddenly dodged to the side as the Kusanagi went flying towards him from behind. He managed to avoid the blade it but it continued on its path and returned to its master. Orochimaru then walked back into the clearing and chuckled.

Naruto's eyes narrowed before he knelt down, placing his right hand to the ground. He closed his eyes and called on the Kyuubi's power. The demonic chakra skyrocketed as he summoned his Four Tailed Cloak. Orochimaru smirked as he saw this.

"Really… this boy… amuses me to no end…"

* * *

><p>Kabuto jumped out of the way of another earth shattering punch from Sakura. Suddenly, the ground tore open underneath him and he jumped back to avoid falling into the crevice. Kabuto then charged towards the jonin and avoided several branches before jumping on one and running across it, all the way back to the jonin. He slashed Yamato across the chest with his medical scalpel only for the jonin to turn into a wooden puppet once again.<p>

The three suddenly halted their battle as they all sensed the demonic chakra of the Kyuubi.

"Well, it seems he's grown as a Jinchuriki, too. I wonder, who's in control now, him or the demon?" Kabuto said with a smirk.

"Naruto…" Sakura said worriedly as she looked in the direction of the ominous chakra.

"Don't worry, Sakura. Naruto's stronger than that." Yamato replied as he recalled what he had been told. He knew how far their control went and his wood clone informed him of how far Naruto had gone. He knew he had control at his current level.

"Hm, think so? Well, I must admit I'm curious to see the battle. The power of a Jinchuriki against Lord Orochimaru… it's truly a battle between monsters, isn't it? Let's finish up here."

"Gladly." Sakura growled before she charged again, the two once more engaged in a taijutsu battle. After ducking under another attack, Kabuto sliced upwards and lengthened his scalpel. Sakura jumped back, but was cut across her chest. She gasped as her right lung was sliced through and she landed back with Yamato.

"Sakura!" Yamato yelled. Kabuto's eyes narrowed as he saw green chakra glow on her chest. Kabuto watched as Sakura healed herself and when she was just about finished, the rouge medic spoke again.

"Hm, really, Tsunade must be so disappointed. After nearly three years of training under one of the Sannin, here you are letting everyone down again." Kabuto said with a smirk and Sakura glared at him again. "There's that look again… if only looks could kill… shame you don't have what it takes to back it up."

"Captain Yamato…" Sakura said quietly before she said something to him and he nodded.

The pink haired girl stood up again. She jumped into the air and once again came down in an axe kick. Kabuto jumped back and once again, wood tendrils erupted from the ground. This time, rather than catch him, they were meant to obscure his view. After weaving his way through them, his eyes widened as six kunai flew towards him. He deflected them but winced as he was hit by 10 senbon which had been in their shadow. His eyes narrowed as he removed the senbon before Sakura came at him again. He could tell they were poisoned and knew he needed to end this quickly. Once again, he began dodging the girl's attacks. After another exchange, he caught her across her left arm, near the shoulder.

"How pathetic. I think it's about time I-" Kabuto's eyes widened as his entire body seized briefly, his vision began to blur slightly and his heart began beating erratically. '_Damn…. The poison's already taking effect?_' he thought. His senses dulled, he knew he needed to get away.

Sakura charged forward and threw another punch at Kabuto, her attack tore apart the ground and hid her from view on impact. Kabuto's eyes narrowed as more wooden tendril burst from the ground behind him. He jumped into the air to dodge. Sakura came down, prepared to deliver her 'Cherry Blossom Impact', he touched the ground, he jumped back only for his eyes to widen as she fazed through the ground and he realized he missed something that, were it not for the poison dulling his senses and the wood attack, he'd have noticed in a heartbeat. The Sakura in the air was just a clone.

"Who's useless now?" Sakura yelled as she charged forward, between the distraction and the poison, she was now too close for him to dodge.

'_No!_' Kabuto screamed in his head, his eyes wide in terror as her right fist collided with his chest, sending him flying through a tree and into the ground. He opened his eyes only for them to widen as Sakura was charging forward again. He was powerless to do anything as she punched him in the stomach. He cried out in pain and coughing up a massive amount of blood as he was driven into the ground before his body went limp and he seemed to lose consciousness.

Sakura looked at the criminal before she turned to Yamato with a smile.

"We won… mission accomplished."

"Yes. Great job, Sakura. Now, we need to-" he was cut off when an enormous surge of demonic chakra caught both of their attentions. As they turned towards its source, they failed to notice the wounds on the downed medic rapidly healing. Knowing he would be unable to dodge the last attack, he had concentrated his chakra into his chest and used his Yin Healing Wound Destruction technique. Now, he needed to wait for an opportunity to escape.

* * *

><p>Orochimaru jumped through the trees again, this time dodging a claw made of bubbling, red chakra that weaved around the trees in pursuit of the Snake Sannin. Orochimaru continued to avoid the dangerous attacks when he sensed the Naruto above him. The blond came down with enough power to demolish the area. Orochimaru jumped out of the dust cloud, missing an arm. He landed on a branch and quickly shed his body and emerged in his more serpentine form and began slithering rapidly through the forest. A chakra claw reached out of the dust cloud and he snaked around the trees to in pursuit. Orochimaru's eyes widened as another claw tore out of the ground before him. The chakra claw slammed into him and drove him through a tree, only for his body to melt into mud again.<p>

Naruto's senses warned him of danger and he ducked as the elongated blade of the Kusanagi sailed over his head. The blade continued on its path and cut through several trees, causing them to fall on the blond. Naruto roared as the trees collapsed on top of him, unleashing a spherical wave of destructive force which blew away the trees and Orochimaru.

Naruto searched for the Sannin, unable to keep his Wind Dragons Vigilance up while using this much of the Kyuubi's chakra at the moment. Orochimaru, unharmed by the last attack, erupted from the ground and once again punched him in the face. This time, the blond wasn't sent flying and the snake Sannin didn't give him time to recover, quickly delivering several punishing blows to the stomach, chest and face before finally delivering a right hook strong enough to send him flying towards a tree. He then raised his hand and summoned several snakes from his sleeve to restrain the blond. Naruto flipped in the air and landed on the tree feet first before slicing through the snakes with a chakra claw and lunging at the Snake Sannin again, aiming to take his head off. Orohchimaru leaned back, narrowly avoiding the attack but was struck across the chest anyway when the chakra claw separated from the blonde's arm, sending him through another tree and into the ground. Naruto charged forward and a snake burst out of the cloud created by Orochimaru's impact. This one wrapped around Naruto's neck thought he grabbed its head before it could bite him and the Sannin returned the favor from earlier, whipping him around the battlefield and into a tree before he could remove it. After the impact, Naruto tore off the snake and glared at the Sannin.

"Well, Naruto, while this has been entertaining, I'm afraid all good things must come to an end."

"Your right about that." Naruto replied and Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as the chakra cloaks tails wrapped around the blond, encasing him in a sphere of black chakra.

"What's this?" Orochimaru thought out loud before the sphere burst open revealing Naruto in his version 2 cloak, the release of power forming a small crater around him. The chakra cloak had become solid and his face became a black mask of chakra with glowing circles for eyes. "Well now, how interesting." '_This chakra… it's entirely different than before._'

"**Glad you're amused.**" Naruto replied.

"My, my… you're still in control?" Orochimaru smirked before Naruto charged. He tore Orochimaru apart with a single slash of his claw, only for him to melt into mud again.

'_At this rate… I might actually die._' Orochimaru thought, rather than fear he felt excitement at the thought of facing such an opponent. Orochimaru appeared in a tree above the Jinchuriki and summoned a dozen snakes from his sleeve, Naruto turned to him just as the snakes reached him and wrapped around his body. The Sannin's eyes narrowed when the snakes melted on contact.

Naruto launched another chakra claw at the Sanke Sannin who slithered through the forest, dodging it. Unlike before, this time instead of weaving its way around the trees, the claw simply demolished every tree in its path. The Snake Sannin was considering using his final trump card but decided against it.

Naruto's launched his other claw at Orochimaru. It tore into the ground directly in front of him and Naruto used it to pull himself to the Snake Sannin. As he flew through the air, he released several more chakra arms from his back. The Sannin sunk into the ground and vanished as the arms approached. Naruto landed and whipped his head around trying to locate the Sannin before slamming his hand into the ground, creating an explosion and forcing Orochimaru out of the ground. As Orochimaru flew through the air, his eyes widened as a massive chakra claw burst from the cloud of debris created by the explosion and slammed into him, sending him flying, crashing into the ground with enough force to create a fairly large crater. Within the cloud, Orochimaru fired several spiraling balls of compressed wind, but Naruto bat aside the attacks with one of his tails. He then threw back his head and pointed the tails in front of his open mouth.

Orochimaru, part of his face mask torn away by the force of the last attack, watched as orbs of black and blue chakra gathered in the air before condensing into a small sphere in front of his mouth.

'_What's he planning to do with that?_' Orochimaru thought as he watched and placed his hand on the destroyed part of his mask repairing it. His eyes narrowed as the blond swallowed the sphere. His body dug into the ground, weighed down by the dense chakra as his body expanded. '_I see… if I'm hit by such a dense chakra… even I'll die._' The Sannin thought as he removed his hand from his face, his mask now complete again. Orochimaru was now glad he hadn't used his trump card, the Eight Braches Technique. He couldn't separate from it quickly and he wouldn't have been able to dodge such an attack. Using it here would have been a fatal mistake.

Orochimaru bit both his thumbs and placed his hands on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu: Triple Rashomon!" Orochimaru summoned three large demonic gates to shield him from the attack. Naruto opened his mouth and launched the Four Tailed Biju Ball from his mouth at the gates.

* * *

><p>"Sakura! Get down!" Yamato yelled as he ran through hand signs. '<em>Wood Style: Domed Wall Jutsu!<em>' Yamato created a shelter for them. A moment later, the Biju Ball collided with the demonic gates and they were consumed in a huge explosion. Kabuto, who had healed himself while they were distracted, took shelter from the resulting shockwave behind a tree as he took a food pill and a plasma pill. He extracted as much of the poison as he could before he sunk into the ground.

* * *

><p>As the dust cleared, Naruto stared at the broken form of Orochimaru, his head buried in the ground and his arms and legs contorted in unnatural positions. The gates had been completely destroyed in the blast. His eyes narrowed, he couldn't tell if the Sannin was actually dead. Suddenly, he sensed something beneath him. The Kusanagi came out of the ground, stabbed him in the chest and drove him through the air. Orochimaru's head followed the blade out of the ground, the sword sticking out of his mouth as the blade and his neck continued to extend. Naruto was driven was sent through the air and was driven into the ground near the bridge by the legendary sword.<p>

'_My, my… even the Kusanagi couldn't penetrate his chakra…_' Orochimaru thought.

* * *

><p>Sakura's eyes widened as she saw what Naruto had become. Yamato's wood clone could communicate with him and he'd already been briefed so he already knew. Naruto grabbed the Kusanagi, ripped it out of his chakra cloak and tossed it aside away from Sakura and Yamato.<p>

"Naruto…" Sakura said. Naruto then decided to release the chakra cloak before it did anymore damage to him. The shroud vanished, leaving him in a fading version one cloak. He fell on one knee, breathing heavily and Sakura was horrified to see a little over a quarter of his skin had been burned off and she quickly ran over to help him. "Naruto, are you…?"

"I'll be fine, Sakura. Did you catch Kabuto?"

"No." Yamato said as Sakura began to heal him. "He got away while we were distracted."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault, you had to go that far to fight someone like Orochimaru."

"Naruto… how can you control that power?" Sakura asked, remembering what Chiyo had said, that the Biju's powers were uncontrollable as she began to heal him as best she could.

"I have to admit I was surprised, too." Yamato said. "Hearing about it was one thing… I never imagined the version 2 cloak was so powerful, though it looks like it carries considerable risks."

Kabuto watched from his hiding spot in a tree on the other side of the other side of the bridge. '_So, he did have control of himself after all… to have come so far from the loudmouth brat he was almost three years ago…_' Kabuto thought to himself before he left to meet his master.

* * *

><p>Sai and the Yamato clone watched as Orochimaru's head lowered to the ground, not bothering to retract his neck to his broken body, and once again regurgitated a copy of himself. This time, however, he fell flat to the ground and lay there. Orochimaru was in a great deal of pain after that fight. His shedding technique took a lot of chakra to use. Using it three times a day wasn't that much of a problem for the Snake Sannin, but five times was pushing it. On top of that, despite what it may seem, the technique couldn't heal all forms of damage completely. Poison, be it normal poison or the chakra of the Biju, couldn't be completely removed from his system. Despite the fact that he seemed perfectly fine, he was suffering from he traces of the Kyuubi's chakra left in his system. Of course, thanks to his enhanced regenerative powers, it was nothing that wouldn't heal in a few hours.<p>

'_To think he has that level of control… it's a shame I can't continue this fight, but this body is beginning to reject me… soon it will be time…._' Orochimaru thought and he began to chuckle. '_Yes… patience… soon, Sasuke's power will be mine…_'

Sai, seeing his chance, approached Orochimaru as the Sannin stood up.

"Greetings. I'm a messenger of Lord Danzo. I have something to talk to you about." Sai said with his fake smile.

"Danzo? That senile old fool's still alive? What business might you have with me?"

"I have a message for you from Lord Danzo, but-"

"Before that, keep in mind that you should choose your words carefully when speaking to me… or you'll die." Orochimaru said.

"I will speak exactly as I was instructed too. If you don't like what I have to say, please, do as you see fit." Sai replied without flinching.

Orochimaru smirked before he suddenly fired his Kusanagi out of his mouth, impaling the pale teen, who melted into ink seconds later.

"Really, kids today have no manners." Orochimaru said as the sword once again turned into a snake and slithered back to him and up his body. "When speaking to your superiors, it's polite to show your true face." the real Sai climbed out of the ground.

* * *

><p>Sakura was almost finished healing Naruto. The girl was seriously disappointed in herself. Though she and Yamato had managed to defeat Kabuto, they had let him escape, and now, this was all she could do. She was determined to improve herself so she would never be so useless again.<p>

"Captain Yamato, where's Sai?" Sakura asked.

"He was watching my fight with Orochimaru. He never did anything to help, but I guess he could have been waiting for an opening." Naruto said as he took a food pill.

"… Sai is currently conversing with Orochimaru, according to my clone. Although, it can't tell what they're talking about from the distance they're at."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"He approached Orochimaru and began talking with him. So far, neither side has shown any hostilities."

* * *

><p>Sai looked at Orochimaru impassively as the legendary rouge ninja considered what he had told him.<p>

"What you've said… why should I trust it?" Orochimaru asked.

Sai responded by reaching into his backpack, only to suddenly be brought down by Kabuto, who attacked him from behind and pinned him to the ground with a kunai to his neck. As he hit the ground, the contents of his backpack spilled out before him.

"What is this?" Kabuto inquired.

"Relax Kabuto. This boy will be our subordinate from now on." Orochimaru said with a smirk.

"… Can we trust him?" Kabuto replied.

"Please look inside that envelope… it's for you from Lord Danzo." Sai said, gesturing towards an envelope that fell from his backpack. Orochimaru walked forward and picked up the envelope. His eye widened slightly when he viewed it's contents.

"This is…"

"What is it?" Kabuto asked.

"Kabuto… please release that boy. He will be coming with us." Orochimaru said. As the three headed off, the wood clone who was watching narrowed his eyes. Unbeknownst to Sai, he had forgotten to pick up his picture book.

* * *

><p>Sakura had finished healing them as best she could. Naruto's skin was restored and most of the damage done to her and Yamato by Kabuto had been healed. "Sai just ran off with Orochimaru and Kabuto. Kabuto attacked him, but after opening an envelope given to him by Sai, he ordered Kabuto to release him and they left." the jonin reported.<p>

"What?" Naruto asked before his eyes narrowed.. "So, he was on a separate mission from Danzo, then. That old geezer is on Konoha's council, there's no telling what information he could give Orochimaru."

"My thoughts exactly. My clone is tailing them and I have a tracker of sorts on Sai. Naruto, how well can you fight after that?"

"I'd say I'm at around 60%, but I won't be able to go version 2 again for a while. I'm lucky I didn't use it for long or I'd be a lot worse off." Naruto replied and Yamato nodded. "I should be close to full strength by the time we catch up."

"Then we should go immediately, we should have fully healed by the time we catch up to them. But then again, they'll probably be back at full strength too. Let's check out the area where they talked and then head out."

* * *

><p>Orochimaru, Kabuto and Sai traveled through the trees towards the hidden base. Orochimaru and Kabuto were traveling at a much slower pace than normal.<p>

"My, my, Kabuto, it would seem those two mice did a number on you." Orochimaru smirked.

"I underestimated them. The girl poisoned me and left me helpless before her super strength. I was fortunate they were trying to capture me or I'd be dead. I extracted most of the poison, but we'll need to stop before I can make an antidote." Kabuto replied. "What about you? The Kyuubi's chakra acts like a corrosive poison."

"I left behind most of its chakra when I shed my body, but I had to do so far more than I expected. I may have played too much. He actually forced me to shed my body before using the Kyuubi's power."

"Really? Who do you think is stronger? Him or Sasuke?" Kabuto asked, surprised the blond had improved that much.

"… I'm not entirely sure. At any rate, Kabuto…"

"I know, we're being tailed. But are we simply being tailed or is it…" he said looking back at Sai. "What should we do?"

"Either way, I'm afraid we'll have a corpse on our hands." Orochimaru answered with a wicked smile.

* * *

><p>A while later, The Yamato clone continued to pursue the Orochimaru, Sai and Kabuto when he saw something that made him stop and his eyes widen. What seemed to be Sai's lifeless body hung by it's neck from a tree branch.<p>

* * *

><p>Sakura, Yamato and Naruto had decided to take a break. They could recover the rest of their strength and plan on what to do when they caught up to them or follow them back to their base. As they sat, Sakura decided to look at Sai's picture book, which they had found when they checked out the area where he had been negotiating with Orochimaru.<p>

* * *

><p>Orochimaru, Kabuto and the real Sai had arrived at a river. Kabuto had altered a corpse to look like him and left it behind as a distraction. The medic nin was cleaning his medical tools in the river after fixing a cure for what was left of the poison while Sai washed his face and Orochimaru sat on a rock waiting for Kabuto to finish.<p>

"Kabuto… save that for when we get back." Orochimaru said to his right hand man.

"I can't… if I don't wash the blood off right away, the blades will go bad in no time at all." Kabuto replied. "But, to change the subject, would you be able to provide me with an unmarred male corpse when we get back?"

"You still have some left, don't you?" Orochimaru asked and Kabuto pulled out and unraveled a scroll in which he kept all the corpses he used for such things sealed. One seal was empty.

"I do, but our little diversion has left me without a 15-16 year old male corpse. It bugs me to no end when this scroll doesn't maintain it's proper order…"

Orochimaru stared at Kabuto for a few moments. "Kabuto… is your blood type A by any chance?"

"No, it's actually AB."

"Really?" Orochimaru asked, a little surprised.

Sai finished washing his face while they were talking. As Sai went to put away the piece of cloth he used to dry his face, his eye widened slightly as he realized his picture book was missing. He rummaged through his backpack for a moment trying to find it. Orochimaru noticed this.

"Is something wrong… Sai, was it?" Orochimaru asked.

"… No… it's nothing." Sai replied. As he said this, he couldn't help but think back to his conversation about the book and his drawings with Naruto. If he was truly emotionless, truly unattached to everything, why did it matter to him that the book was gone?

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><p><strong>I hope you liked the chapter.<strong>

**I don't know why, but personally, something just felt off with this chapter no matter how many times I went over or rewrote it, maybe you guys can point it out.**

**Please read and review.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here's chapter 12.**

**The poll is now closed. Fu will have the Chakra Mode.**

**I would like to thank Pokemaster12 for checking this chapter and helping with the romance scene. He largely rewrote the kiss; it's a lot better than what I wrote.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p>Team Asuma stood before Tsunade in the Hokage's office, Asuma in front of the desk and Shizune stood to the side of her mentor's desk. They had just returned to the village and Asuma was giving the report to their Hokage.<p>

"After the battle, we interrogated the captive; we discovered that the assassins were hired by a lord from the Lord of Honey who was attempting to seize power. He had no other ninja in his employ and was easily taken into custody." Asuma finished his explanation of the mission's events. Shizune was still in shock over the fact that the lead Assassin had the Raijin no Ken. Most had assumed it lost forever, in the hands of Hanzo the Salamander.

"A lord trying to seize power is fairly common, but it's a bit surprising that the lead assassin turned out to be a traitor from our own village. Did you manage to recover the blade undamaged?" Tsunade said, her gaze turning to the green haired girl.

"Yes, Lady Hokage. And here's the body of the thief." Fu said as she pulled out two scrolls. She walked forward and laid the one containing Aoi's corpse on the table and opened the other, revealing the famed weapon. "Here, it is rightfully yours and I'm sure you want it back." with that, she handed the sword to their leader. The Sannin was silent as she looked at the blade in her hand for a few moments before activating it. She gazed at the glowing, yellow blade before deactivating it and closing her eyes.

"Thank you. My granduncle's sword… it's not only a powerful and precious village treasure, but also a family heirloom." Tsunade said, looking at the Jinchuriki. "You must realize what this means, to the village and to me." Tsunade said.

"Of course, Lady Tsunade." Fu replied.

"Then you understand what it means that I'm granting it to you." Tsunade said with a smirk as she extended the hand holding the blade back to the girl, much to the shock of everyone else in the room.

"Milady, are you sure about this?" Shizune asked.

"Yeah, I mean, not to sound ungrateful, but are you sure you want to give away something that means so much to your family?" Fu asked as she looked at the sword.

"Yes, I'm sure. From what I've seen and been told by Jiraiya, you're one of the most skilled kenjutsu practitioners in the village. My granduncle would want this sword to be used to protect the village, not sitting around gathering dust on a stand somewhere, and who better to wield it than the one who retrieved it." Tsunade said. Fu took the sword and looked at the blade for a moment. Though she had wanted to keep the sword, she didn't think she'd actually be allowed to.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. I'll do my best to prove worthy of your faith in me." Fu said with a smile.

"I'm sure you will." The Hokage said with a smile of her own. "Ok, you're all dismissed."

The group left the office, Asuma was last out and he closed the door before turning to his team. "Alright. After a mission like that, I'd say it's time to celebrate." He said with a grin.

"Yeah. Time for some barbeque." Choji said.

"Sound good?" Ino asked their temporary teammate.

"Yeah, in fact, it'll be my treat." Fu replied.

"You sure about that? You know how much Choji eats." Ino said.

"I just turned in a 15 million Ryo bounty." Fu said. "Besides, you know what just happened, I'm in a really good mood."

"Alright then, it's all on you." Asuma said, his grin widening. "I hope you don't regret this later." For the first time, he was going to be able to fully enjoy their after-mission celebration. He usually couldn't, knowing what it was going to do to his wallet.

* * *

><p>"Hey, guys. Take a look at this." Sakura said as the three rested to recover their strength. Naruto and Yamato came over and stood on opposite sides of the girl as they looked at the picture book Sai had left behind, hoping to find out something about him. On one side was a boy with black hair and on the other cover was a boy with white hair. On each page they fought an enemy and on the following page, the boy used their fallen opponents weapons and armor. At the center where it seemed the two boys should meet, the white haired boy's page was empty and the black haired boy's face was blank.<p>

"So, it's a story about two boys who growing up as they fight their enemies." Yamato surmised.

"It looks like it. They both have the same kind of story." Sakura replied.

"The black haired boy looks like Sai… think this is supposed to be the story of him and his brother?" Naruto asked.

"That seems to be the case." Yamato answered.

"So, they were meant to meet at the center… but were they supposed to fight each other or…" Naruto said. Suddenly, Yamato's eyes widened and he stood up.

"My clone just located their base, let's head out." the jonin said and Naruto and Sakura nodded. Minutes later, they were dashing across the lake surrounding the island where Orochimaru's base was located, using their chakra to run on the water's surface. Naruto was ahead of the group, followed by Sakura and Yamato.

"Naruto…" Sakura said, a determined look on her face. Naruto turned his head slightly and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "We'll save Sasuke this time."

"Sakura…" Naruto began, choosing his words carefully as Sakura's expression became questioning. "How far are you prepared to go?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked. Yamato turned his head slightly to look at the blond.

"Exactly what I said. Sasuke's not just going to come back with us." Naruto said.

"How can you say that?" Sakura asked. "He-"

"Sakura." Naruto cut her off. "Sasuke willingly left. He willingly abandoned us and the village for the sake of power. He's not going to come back just because we came to get him. You need to be prepared to fight him with everything you have. He's not going to hold back. If you hesitate, if you hold back just because you love him, he will kill you."

"He… he wouldn't…" Sakura muttered, caught completely off guard by Naruto's words.

"Naruto's right." Yamato said and Sakura turned to him, her eyes wide. "I hope it doesn't come to that. But it's likely that a confrontation with Sasuke will turn to violence. You need to be prepared for that."

Naruto looked at Sakura. She was obviously struggling with what she was hearing. "I know it's not something you want to hear, but you weren't there when we fought at the Valley of the End. He's not going to hold back just because we were a team." he said in a low voice. Sakura didn't respond.

"Sakura, if you aren't prepared to fight him with everything you have, you'll be a liability when we meet him. If that's the case, it would be best if you stay back." Yamato said. Sakura's face quickly ran through several emotions before settling on a slight scowl.

"… I won't… I'll fight him if necessary, and we will save him." Sakura said, her eyes hardening with determination again. Naruto sighed and turned his turned his gaze forward as they ran towards the island.

* * *

><p>Sai, Kabuto and Orochimaru walked through a hall in the Snake Sannin's base, into a large room. The room was dark, lit only by a pair of candles which rested in the eyes of a snake statue at the center of the room. Sitting under the statue, cloaked in shadow, was the wayward member of Team Kakashi, Sasuke Uchiha.<p>

"You're late." the Uchiha said. "Orochimaru… did you forget you were supposed to teach me a new jutsu this afternoon?"

"You fail to mind your mouth, as always." Kabuto admonished, annoyed at his lack of respect.

"Oh please, do calm down. Instead of training, I brought you a little gift." Orochimaru said with a smirk. "He's a shinobi from Konoha… I figured you could bathe in nostalgia, talking about your old village."

Sasuke opened his eyes, his Sharingan visible even in the darkness. "Whatever…"

"Hi, there. I'm Sai. You must be Sasuke Uchiha." Sai said with his fake smile.

"Go away." Sasuke replied coldly. Sai didn't seem bothered by Sasuke's rudeness, and was his usual imperturbable self.

"Even if I force myself to smile… I guess I'm just easy to hate. Naruto hated me right off the bat too. But between the two of you, I think I'll get along with you better." Sai said. Sasuke simply glared at him. Sai's smile fell as he felt an oppressive presence from Sasuke before his eyes widened in fear and suddenly fell back, caught in a demonic illusion of the Sharingan.

"Sasuke!" Kabuto yelled. Sasuke didn't respond. Sai wiped his brow and realized he was sweating. He was shocked to realize he was afraid, even though he was supposed to have fully suppressed his emotions.

"I wouldn't bother him if I were you." Orochimaru said, his smirk widening as he watched. "He's even worse than me."

"I've got nothing to say to this loser. Train me, now." Sasuke said as he stood up, showing no respect for the Snake Sannin.

"I've heard about you from Naruto." Sai said as he recovered, Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "He still wants to bring you back, even after three years."

"He's still around?" Sasuke asked.

"Kukuku… ah yes…I fought him just a short while ago… he's improved quite a bit… he may even be stronger than you, Sasuke." Orochimaru smirked. Sasuke glared at the Sannin for a moment.

"Naruto views you as a brother… and Sakura cares deeply about you. That's what they told me." Sai said.

"… There's only one person I care about. My real brother… and all I want to do is kill him." Sasuke replied.

"All right, let's go." Orochimaru said to Sasuke as he pulled out the envelope Sai had given him. "Kabuto, make a dossier from these." Sasuke Body Flickered away and the Sannin walked to the training ground after Kabuto took the envelope.

"These?" Kabuto asked. He had long been curious about the envelopes contents. His eyes widened as he saw what was inside; profiles on all ANBU loyal to Tsunade. He flipped through them until he found the profile for Yamato.

* * *

><p>Team Yamato hid outside of Orochimaru's base. It was a seemingly deserted area filled with large boulders and dead trees. As they hid, Yamato turned his clone into a pair of seeds. He then explained that they responded to his chakra and instructed the two teens to eat them so he could track their chakra. After they did so, they prepared to infiltrate the base.<p>

"We'll conduct the infiltration in file." Yamato said. "Me first, then Sakura and Naruto at the rear."

"What's our method of infiltration?" Sakura asked.

"We'll use an earth technique to approach from underground." Yamato answered. "Naruto, can you sense anything in the base?"

"No." Naruto replied, eyes narrowed in frustration. "My jutsu works through the wind, I can't sense anything underground. I could use it once we're in, but that jutsu broadcasts my presence to sensors and dojutsu users. If I used it to see into the base, Sasuke might see my chakra with his Sharingan and our cover will be blown."

"Alright, then, we're going in blind." Yamato said with a nod before making a hand sign.

* * *

><p>Sai and Kabuto walked through the halls of Orochimaru's base. These were more well lit than the area Sasuke had been in. Kabuto stepped in front of the ROOT operative and opened a door.<p>

"Here we are, come inside." Kabuto said. Inside the room, Kabuto placed the envelope on the bed and walked over to light a candle. "This is your room. When we don't have anything for you to do, we expect you to quietly behave yourself in here. We'll call on you when something comes up." Kabuto said. Sai watched him walk back to the door and closed it from the outside, showing him a key. "Sorry to do this, but I'm going to have to lock this door from the outside. After all you're… well, you understand." Kabuto said before closing the door and locking it. Sai listened to Kabuto walk away before he got on with his real mission.

* * *

><p>Team Yamato had tunneled their way to Orochimaru's base, only to find a wall of solid stone preventing them from moving any farther.<p>

"Exactly as expected, their base is surrounded by hard rock." Yamato noted.

"So let's find a crack and get to work." Naruto replied. Yamato nodded and proceeded to look for and find a small crack in the wall. He placed his finger on the crack and created a branch that entered the crack and expanded, eventually creating a large hole.

"Let's find Sai first, this way." Yamato said as he led the teens towards their traitorous third member.

* * *

><p>Kabuto walked through the halls, organizing what he needed to do for the rest of the day in his head.<p>

"Well then, better get to work on that ANBU bingo book. I don't need anymore nagging from Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto said before he looked at his hands and realized something; he had left the envelope back at Sai's room. "Heh… if I keep this up, I'll probably be told how someone with blood type A would have made a better servant." with that, he turned around and made his way back to Sai's room.

* * *

><p>Inside Sai's room, the ROOT ninja stood by the table, holding his ROOT edition of the bingo book, which contained information on all ninja Danzo believed to be a threat to Konoha. The page he was staring at belonged to none other than the same boy the rest of the team came to rescue, Sasuke Uchiha. In truth, rather than help capture Kabuto or rescue Sasuke, Sai's mission was to assassinate the rogue Uchiha.<p>

As he read the avenger's profile, he heard someone outside. He quickly hid his bingo book back in his backpack and turned to see the door as it opened. Yamato peered into the room from the opening.

"Look who we have here." Yamato said before opening the door and entering the room, followed by Naruto and Sakura. Sai soon donned his fake smile.

"The Hokage-controlled ANBU, impressive as always, to think that fake corpse wouldn't fool you…"

"Here, we found this, it's yours right?" Sakura asked, handing him h the picture book. His smile faded and he took it.

"Thank you." Sai said.

"Why don't you tell us what's going on here?" Yamato asked. "You're real mission was always to act as a go between for Danzo and Orochimaru, wasn't it?"

"I knew you were up to something from the moment I saw you." Naruto said with a glare. "What's Danzo after, working with Orochimaru? Is he planning to overthrow Konoha?"

"… You're correct. There's no reason to hide things anymore, since you caught me." Sai said with a completely carefree tone. "We're going to destroy Konoha as it exists today."

"Keep talking." Yamato ordered, pointing a kunai at him.

"I was ordered to act as a liaison between Orochimaru and Lord Danzo, and also, to spy on Orochimaru and for Lord Danzo."

"You're joining up with Orochimaru while intending to betray him? That's dangerous." Sakura said.

"Actually, he'd be an idiot not too." Naruto noted and Sakura turned to him, obviously surprised. "Orochimaru is notorious for betraying everyone who works with or trusts him, including his own subordinates. He'd just betray them as soon as he has no further use for them. You shouldn't work with someone like him in the first place, but for someone planning to, it'd be stupid to expect him to keep his end of a bargain."

"That's correct. I was the best candidate for this mission. The ink I write with becomes small, living animals, which safely take the information back to Lord Danzo."

"What did Danzo give Orochimaru? There's no way he would just trust you like that." Naruto said.

Sai's smile didn't falter as he answered. "He sent with me the information on all of the ANBU loyal to the Hokage as a peace offering, including their real names, families and abilities."

All their eyes widened at this. "You-" Naruto began angrily, barely able to keep his voice down.

"Fortunately for you, however, it seems Kabuto left it with me. I have it right here." he continued, reaching into his backpack and pulling out the envelope. Danzo never had any intention of allowing Orochimaru to keep that information.

"Sai, do you understand what you're doing? Do you realize how many lives will be lost if Orochimaru attacks again?" Sakura asked.

"I'm just following my orders." Sai replied.

"Sai, you…" Sakura began with a scowl.

Sai cut her off, his expression unchanging. "'Sai' was just my codename for this mission, I am no one. I am simply Danzo's tool, I do not exist, so anything you say to me will just be wasting your breath."

"Like I asked you before, why do you care about that book? Why do you keep drawing?" Naruto asked and Sai's smile faded. "Because you can't erase the bond you had with you're brother. We've already seen the whole thing. Danzo uses the same method as the Hidden Mist Village to kill off your emotions. You killed-"

"No." Sai interrupted. "I made that book as a present for him. I decided to take extra time to finish it, and he died from an illness." Sai's false smile returned. "We weren't related by blood, but he always praised my drawings. The final pages, at the center are what I wanted to show him the most, but since he died, I can't remember what I wanted to draw." Sai said.

Minutes later they were all outside, standing around Sai, who was tied up in wooden tendrils.

"Too bad, Sai, you'll be staying out here with my clone." Yamato said.

"This is our best chance to save Sasuke." Sakura said determinedly.

"I wouldn't count on that." Sai said. "I met Sasuke earlier. He's always with Orochimaru and he no longer cares about you, or Konoha. Why do you two want to save him so badly? No one has ordered you to."

"Sai, think back to when you were with your brother. How much did he mean to you? What would you have done if it meant saving his life?" Naruto asked. "We want to save him because of our bond with him."

"Your bond?" Sai asked with widened eyes.

"You keep that book because you can't break the bond you had with your brother, and we want to save him because of the bond we share with him." suddenly, Naruto, Sakura and Yamato all sensed approaching danger and jumped back, avoiding a hail of kunai.

"Sai, looks like you got caught." Kabuto said as he suddenly appeared before them. "Since you didn't betray us, I'll trust you." With that, he channeled his chakra into his hand and cut through the wood. "You should run while you can." Sai sat there for a moment vanishing in an Ink Body Flicker. "It's useless you know."

"You think you can take us all at once?" Naruto asked with a glare.

"That's not what I was talking about. I really pity you guys." Kabuto smirked. He was trying to buy time with the conversation. "People change, Sasuke's no longer how you remember him."

The trio of leaf ninja's danger senses flared simultaneously. They jumped back and a hand reached out of the ground where they had stood moments ago. A deathly pale ninja rose from the earth, his eyes lacking irises and pupils. The reanimated shinobi followed by two more undead ninja.

"You sick son of a bitch." Naruto snarled, recognizing this as the Dead Soul Technique.

Kabuto chuckled. "Language… and I prefer to be called a scientist." Suddenly, he jerked and his eyes turned briefly in stared off in the distance briefly. "It seems I've no time to play around."

"Good, neither do we." A voice said from behind him. Kabuto turned just in time to see a Naruto clone with Rasengan right behind him. The clone plowed the Rasengan into his back, causing him to cry out in pain before flying towards the undead shinobi, who dodged the man as they charged towards leaf ninja. Two of them double teamed Naruto, who blocked their attacks before ducking as one lunged at his. As he dodged the attack, he summoned two explosive notes and threw it to the zombie as it sailed over him. It latched onto its leg as Naruto grabbed a punch aimed at him from his other attacker. He threw it at the other, attaching the other note to its back as he did so. When the two collided, he detonated the notes using a one handed hand sign.

Meanwhile, Sakura dodged attacks from the remaining zombie before Yamato restrained it with a wooden tendril from his palm, allowing Sakura to decapitate it with a kunai.

They turned to Kabuto, who lie motionless on the ground. Sakura kneeled before the downed medic and checked him over before scowling. "It's another corpse, the real one must have been using them as a distraction." She said before turning to her teammates. "We need to find the real one, quick."

"No need for that." Naruto said, surprising the others as he looked at a boulder. They followed his gaze and saw Sai walk from behind the boulder with the real Kabuto, restrained by several ink serpents.

"Sai?" Yamato said, obviously caught off guard.

"Why are you helping us?" Sakura asked in a similar state.

"I just wanted to make it clear whose side I was on." Soon, Kabuto was in the same position Sai was in moments ago, sitting, wrapped in wooden tendrils.

"So, what made you change your mind?" Naruto asked.

"You were right." Sai answered simply. "I can't erase my bond with my brother. I want to understand more about bonds, and about emotions. Because of that, I want to observe you. The bonds you and Sakura share with others, and of course, with Sasuke." Naruto and Sakura smiled as they heard this, glad that they seemed to get through to the ROOT ninja. However, their smiles fell into frowns when Kabuto began chuckling.

"I really pity you… you don't understand Sasuke at all." Kabuto said, still chuckling.

"Where is Sasuke." Yamato questioned. Despite his situation, Kabuto didn't seem the fazed in the slightest. The medic-nin paused before answering.

"He should be finished training by now. There are many rooms scattered around throughout the base. You may find him by running through them haphazardly." Kabuto said before smirking. "However, you can awaken a snake when searching through the bushes. Though most of the rooms are empty, you may happen upon Lord Orochimaru's quarters."

"We would have been found out by now if there were any sensors. Are there any other dojutsu users?" Naruto asked.

"No, just Sasuke. Actually, there isn't anyone else here of any importance aside from myself, Sasuke and Lord Orochimaru."

"What about experiments?" Naruto asked.

Kabuto's face twisted into a cruel smile. "None you need worry about, the subjects in this base are… indisposed." Kabuto said. His abilities were the only thing that kept the experiments in that base alive.

"Thank you for answering so candidly." Yamato said.

"Oh, no need to thank me." Kabuto replied.

Yamato created a clone to watch over Kabuto and the leaf ninja reentered the base.

"If Sasuke just finished his training, then right now, he's not with Orochimaru. If there aren't any other sensors or dojutsu users here, then there's nothing stopping me from using my jutsu to find him." Naruto said. "But if he as lying, or if Sasuke is with Orochimaru…"

Yamato nodded. "How much have you recovered since your battle with Orochimaru?" Yamato asked.

"I'm at about 80% right now." Naruto replied.

"… Either way there's risk. Flare your jutsu, shut it down the moment you find Sasuke." Yamato said. Naruto made a hand sign and closed his eyes and an almost unnoticeable wave of wind, saturated with chakra blew through the base. Through his Wind Dragon's Vigilance, he sensed everyone in the base. Several of the rooms contained chunin level ninja, he resisted the urge to grimace when his senses reached the experiments Kabuto had spoken of earlier, the less said about their condition, the better. Then, he located one individual with kage level chakra reserves lying on a bed. The chakra lacked the dark and corrupted feel of Orochimaru's chakra… it had to be…

"Found him." Naruto said when he opened his eyes and deactivated his technique.

"And Orochimaru?" Sai inquired.

"I couldn't sense him anywhere near the room." Naruto replied.

"Alright, worst case scenario and Sasuke doesn't come quietly-" Yamato began and Naruto resisted the urge to scoff at the notion of Sasuke returning peacefully. "-at the very least, we've already taken out Kabuto. If we get separated and something happens, just flare your chakra. I'll sense it through the seeds inside you. Lead the way, Naruto."

Unbeknownst to them, Sasuke had seen the flare of chakra. The tomoes of his Sharingan spun wildly in his open eyes.

* * *

><p>Outside, Kabuto sat, guarded by Yamato's clone. He mentally chuckled at the thought that he had been captured so easily, but then, he'd been taken by surprise by someone he thought an ally and wasn't at full strength yet, while the ROOT operative was fresh.<p>

Kabuto smirked and began to chuckle. "And just what's so funny?" the Yamato clone asked. His eyes widened as he was suddenly impaled by the Kusanagi from behind. The clone fell and turned brown, transforming into a lifeless hunk of wood as Orochimaru stepped forward.

"My my, you seem to have gotten yourself into quite the predicament, haven't you, Kabuto?" Orochimaru smirked.

"I was taken by surprise. It seems Sai had something of a change of heart."

"I see…" Orochimaru replied, his smirk fading at the mention of Sai's betrayal before using the Kusanagi to cut Kabuto free.

"You knew they'd be able to follow us this easily?" Kabuto said as he stood.

"Of course. This little reunion should prove an interesting test for Sasuke."

"Naruto's improved a great deal. Perhaps it would be prudent to finish him now?"

"… No. Thanks to him and Konoha, two Akatsuki have fallen. It would be best to let him eliminate a few more. Once I have the Sharingan's power, it will be easy for me to take care of him. Besides, I find him amusing, it would be a shame to simply kill him now."

"So, he was the one who killed Sasori?"

"No, his prey was his new partner." Orochimaru replied. "Speaking of which, we'll have to look into that event once we're done here. Let's hurry, we don't want to miss out on the fun, do we?" Orochimaru asked with a sinister tone.

* * *

><p>As the leaf ninja ran through the candle lit hallways of the base, Naruto in the lead, followed by Sakura and Sai with Yamato bringing up the rear the oldest of the group suddenly stopped and jerked his head back where they entered the base.<p>

"I can't sense my clone, something must have happened." Yamato said with a frown. Sakura opened her mouth to say something when the ANBU ninja and Naruto's eyes widened, their senses warning them of impending danger. "Get back, Now!" Yamato yelled as he grabbed Sai while Naruto grabbed Sakura and both jumped back. Barely a moment later, the ceiling of the base was destroyed in a huge explosion. As the dust began to clear and sunlight began to filter down into the ruined, open area that had once been a hallway, the leaf ninja, stood unharmed.

"So, it was you. I thought I recognized that chakra. It's been a while, Naruto." a familiar voice rang out and the others looked up at their attacker and Sakura's eyes widened. "And Sakura's here too."

"Sasuke…" Sakura said, barely above a whisper as she stared at the man she loved. Sasuke stared down at the group impassively.

"I see Kakashi's not here. And you seem to have replaced me." he noted as he saw Yamato and Sai. "Why are you here?"

"Sasuke…" Naruto said as he looked up at him. After two and a half years, he was finally face to face with the one he considered a brother, the first friend he'd ever had. "Why else? To bring you back."

"Hm, I thought I made it clear to you last time, Naruto. I already severed all my ties to that pathetic village." Sasuke said with no emotion, causing Sakura's eyes to widen while Yamato and Naruto's narrowed.

"If you sever all your bonds, then you'll become desperate to make another." Sai said.

"I severed them because I already have one bond that's far more important. The bond of hatred with my brother." Sasuke said.

"How can you say that?" Sakura asked. "Doesn't the village or the time we spent together mean anything to you?"

"There's only one thing in this world I care about." Sasuke replied.

"Your revenge. You live for nothing but vengeance against Itachi." Naruto continued for him with a glare.

"Hn. It got through that hardhead of your's after all. That's right, I live solely for my revenge."

"You don't have to shoulder that burden by yourself. We could have helped you, everyone could have been there for you." Naruto said.

"And what good would that have done me? How would the help and support of a bunch of worthless fools like your friends have done me any good?" Sasuke countered. Naruto's eyes narrowed at the insult to his home. "There's nothing in that village for me. All they ever did was hold me back. Outside of the village, I've finally got the power I needed."

"And for that, you were willing to turn to someone like Orochimaru, even though he's planning to take your body?" Naruto asked.

"If he happens to take over my body, then so be it." Sasuke replied, shocking the others. "I decided long ago, no matter what I had to do, as long as it ended with Itachi's death, I would do it. If he takes my body, and uses it to kill Itachi, then that's fine with me. As long as my ambition is achieved, what happens to me or this world doesn't matter."

"Sasuke, please." Sakura pleaded desperately as she took a step forward. "We can help you. You're not the only one who's grown stronger since you left. There's no need to stay with Orochimaru, to throw away your life like that. You don't have to fight us. Please, come back." Naruto already knew what Sasuke's answer would be.

Sasuke looked at the pink haired girl, his expression unchanged by her pleas. "You haven't changed. you're still annoying." Sasuke said, his tone making it clear he really thought that. Last time he'd said that he was being sarcastic, this time, he meant it.

"It's like I thought." Naruto said and the others turned to him. "We'll have to take you back by force."

"Hn… and what can you hope to do?" Sasuke replied. "You think you can match the power of an Uchiha? No matter how much you improve, you're still the same loser you were three years ago."

Naruto grinned. "We'll just have to see about that, won't we? I'm not the loudmouth brat I used to be. Besides, we were about even the last time we fought." Naruto said. "Do you remember how our last fight ended?"

"I remember. You redirected your last attack so it would only scratch my forehead protector, and I let you live after you lost consciousness." Sasuke said.

"If you severed all your bonds, then why didn't you kill me then?" Naruto had wondered about why he was still alive. He knew Sasuke had been trying to kill him throughout the fight and held no delusions that the Uchiha had a change of heart or spared him because they were friends, so why not finish him after he lost consciousness?

"On a whim… I spared you on a whim… and so I wouldn't be playing by his rules." Sasuke said in a bored tone as he reached for his sword. The avenger slowly drew the blade. The sound of the metal sliding against the wood ringing throughout the otherwise silent soon-to-be battlefield. The three male Konoha ninja tensed, preparing for battle as Sakura's eyes widened, realizing he wouldn't listen to reason. "And this time, at my whim, you'll lose your life." The Uchiha suddenly shot forward in a burst of speed, faster than most could follow. He appeared before Naruto and swung his sword. The blond sidestepped the blade extended the index and middle fingers on his right hand, creating a sword of wind. Sasuke's eyes widened, his Sharingan seeing the otherwise invisible sword and jumped back as the blond made an upward slash, narrowly avoiding the wind sword.

Naruto summoned his Hisho Taichi and charged forward, channeling wind through his sword. His eyes widened slightly as lightning coursed through Sasuke's sword and a chirping sound was heard emanating from the blade. The avenger pushed off the ground launching himself at the blonde and locked blades with him.

"Hm, flowing wind chakra through your blade? You're the first to block my Chidori Katana." Sasuke said. Naruto jumped back and stabbed his sword into the ground and made a hand sign, activating his sensory technique, Sasuke's eyes narrowed as the Sharingan allowed him to see the chakra infused wind that surrounded them. Calling on the power he had left Konoha for, black marks spread across the avenger's skin from the back of his neck.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he saw the curse mark spread, remembering their last fight, before he disappeared. He reappeared high in the air and inhaled deeply, his chest puffing out, before he slammed his hand to his stomach three times, firing three Air Bullets at Sasuke. The Uchiha jumped back to avoid the cannonball sized blasts of wind, only for Sakura to jump out of the dust cloud, bringing her fist down towards the Uchiha.

Sasuke jumped back to avoid the attack, seeing how much chakra she had put into her fist, only for his eyes to widen as her fist impacted the ground and created a large fissure.

Sai completed a drawing and summoned several ink lions while Yamato created a wooden tendril to restrain the Uchiha, their attacks coming at him from both sides.

"Chidori Current!" Sasuke unleashed a wave of lightning from his entire body, destroying the tendril and ink animals. His gaze turned to Sakura, his eyes showing he was serious about killing them. He appeared behind Sakura in a burst of speed, his sword held in a reverse grip, and swung his sword, Sakura turned her head but was too close to dodge.

'_Sasuke…_' Sakura thought with a look of despair as the sword drew closer. It was just like three years ago, she couldn't even follow his movements. '_Your eyes… you're really trying to kill me… _' She was saved when Naruto appeared, blocked Sasuke's attack with his own sword and pushed her out of the way. '_Sasuke… what happened to you?_' Sakura thought as she realized Naruto had been right.

The Uchiha jumped into the air as countless wooden tendrils burst from the ground. The Sharingan allowed him to dodge the attacks easily, flipping from tendril to tendril and slashing through a few before firmly planting his feet on one and vanishing in a burst of speed. He reappeared before the jonin, his sword held in a reverse grip, and slashed.

Yamato ducked, the sword sailing just inches over his head and skipped back, and made several hand signs before raising his hand, his open palm pointed at the Uchiha. "Wood Style: Silent Strangulation Jutsu!" His arm transformed into a wooden tendril that quickly sped toward the traitor of Team 7. Before he could dodge, a pair of hands burst from the ground and grabbed his ankles locking him in place as the tendril reached him, it branched out into several smaller tendrils, wrapping around his arms, legs and torso. The hands holding him in place burst into smoke and Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

Sakura charged forward, pulling her fist back as she prepared to knock out her lost love, having realized that she can't hold back against him. Without moving, the Uchiha closed his eyes, focusing on molding his chakra, before unleashing a more powerful Chidori Current, destroying the tendrils holding him in place and electrocuting Sakura, sending her flying back. He leapt forward preparing to slash Sakura only jump back to avoid a wind blade from Naruto. He turned to the blond, and swept his hand, covered in lightning through the air.

"Chidori Senbon!" The Uchiha fired dozens of needles of lightning at the blond, using his Sharingan to target pressure points. Naruto held his sword before him, pointed straight at the ground.

"Tempest Formation!" A protective whirlwind formed around the Jinchuriki and obscured him from view, the needles dispersed upon contact. When the whirlwind fell, the blond had vanished.

The Uchiha's eyes widened as his senses warned him of danger and he flickered away, barely avoiding a powerful gust of wind from behind, which tore through the ground where he stood a moment before. When he reappeared, standing above them on the edge opening in the base he created, he jumped into the air to dodge a wind blade from the blond, who stood near the wall on the other side of the battleground. Naruto clawed his fingers and swept his hand through the air. "Shredding Wind Palm!" Unlike the Beast Wave Palm, instead of one large blade, this technique created over a dozen crescents of wind the size of the blond's hand which flew towards the avenger. Sasuke flipped through the air, twisting his body to around the wind blades before landing and facing the blond.

Naruto and Sasuke disappeared from sight, using nothing but pure speed as they moved to engage each other. The clang of metal meeting metal heralded their reappearance as their blades clashed. The two then engaged each other in a fierce sword fight, neither gaining the ground, a fact which frustrated the Uchiha. He remembered the power the blond had used when they fought last time, and despite the fact that he was using the curse mark and his Sharingan, he still didn't have the upper hand on his former teammate.

Naruto ducked under a slash and attempted to sweep Sasuke's legs out from under him, but the rogue Uchiha jumped back before vanishing as several ink serpents appeared to restrain him. When he reappeared, he was forced to dodge a dozen senbon from Sakura before a tree suddenly grew from behind him and restrained him with its bark, locking him in place. He looked up and Naruto emerged from the tree with a kunai. Sasuke smirked and responded with a genjutsu of his own, the blond was suddenly impaled from all sides by spikes in an illusion of the Sharingan. Sasuke was released from the illusion and Naruto stood before him paralyzed, his eyes widened in shock, the kunai still in his hand. Sasuke made a slashing motion with his sword, prepared to take the blonde's head off.

The Uchiha's eyes widened as Naruto suddenly grabbed his wrist. Sasuke realized that he'd been tricked with a shadow clone as the clone made a stabbing motion with its kunai. He grabbed clone's wrist and prepared to free himself when he sensed the real Naruto in the air above him and turned his head just in time to see him finish inhaling in preparation for a jutsu. '_Fire Style: Searing Migraine!_' Naruto fired a small fireball at Sasuke. Sasuke could only watch as the fireball sped towards him, hit the ground in front of him and explode into a firestorm. The Uchiha and the shadow clone were consumed in the blast.

Naruto's eyes widened as he sensed what happened within the fire just before it started to clear. His comrades mirrored his reaction when the fire cleared to reveal Sasuke, standing at the end of the small crater created by the attack with a pair of burnt, hand-like wings shielding him. The wings unfolded, revealing his level two form.

"Wha… what is…?" Sakura asked in shock as she saw what Sasuke had become.

"This is the second stage of the curse mark." Naruto answered with a scowl as he saw Sasuke in his most powerful form.

"So, it came to this after all." Yamato said with narrowed eyes.

Sasuke glared at Naruto. He was certain he could take the other three without using the curse mark's power, but Naruto alone was strong enough that he would have to go all out against him. "I'm done, with you and Konoha. Here and now, I'll sever those bonds once and for all."

Sasuke quickly ran through hand signs before breathing out a massive fire ball at the four leaf shinobi. The Shinobi scattered as the fireball approached. Sasuke appeared before Naruto and locked blades with him, the curse mark's full power gave him an advantage in strength and the blond was pushed back. After a brief exchange of swordplay, the blond blocked a downward slash and was kicked in the stomach by the avenger, strong enough to send him flying into the wall, only to turn to smoke on impact.

Sasuke turned just in time to see Naruto complete a series of hand signs.

"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!" Naruto unleashed a massive ball of fire of his own. The Uchiha Body Flickered out of the way. Naruto turned to where he sensed Sasuke as he heard a sound he had only heard once before, a sound reminiscent of a thousand birds flapping their wings. Sasuke finished charging a corrupted version of the Chidori and charged at the blond, the mass of black and white lightning in his hand close to the ground. The Flapping Chidori damaged the ground as he quickly closed the distance.

Yamato's eyes widened the moment he heard the sound and he slammed his hand to the ground, summoning a wall of wood to protect the Jinchuriki. At the same time, Naruto formed a Giant Rasengan in his right hand and shot forward as soon as it was complete.

Sasuke thrust his Chidori forward and plowed through the wooden barricade, only for his eyes to widen as he saw the Rasengan, his eyes allowing him to see how much power it held. His expression turned to one of rage as they closed the distance between them. They thrust their attacks towards each other and collided in an explosion of power.

Sakura, Yamato and Sai shielded their eyes as a white light consumed their vision. Sasuke's attack held out for a few moments before being overwhelmed by the sheer destructive force of the oversized Rasengan. The orb of light exploded and the Uchiha was sent flying back half way across the battlefield before his feet dug into the ground and he slowed to a stop, kneeling and clutching his left hand in pain. The lower half of his left arm was broken and bleeding. He was now at a severe disadvantage. His eyes turned to his blond ex-teammate, his gaze full of fury.

'_How… how can he have this power_?' Sasuke thought to himself. '_How can he be stronger than me? He's nothing but the dead last._'

"It's not too late, Sasuke." Naruto spoke up. "You can still turn back." Sasuke glared at the blond. "Kakashi probably told you this before, but Sasuke, don't let yourself be consumed by revenge." Sasuke simply continued to glare for a few moments.

"What do you know? You never had a family, you don't know what it's like."

"I do, maybe not completely, but I do understand." The other leaf ninja looked at him, slightly surprised while Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "You know I was an orphan, I grew up not knowing anything about my parents. I even thought for a while they abandoned me, for the same reason I was hated by everyone. You know why that is, don't you, Sasuke?" Sasuke remained silent. "Now I do know, I've been told so much about them, from their sensei and student. And do you know what the first thing I found out about them is?… I found out that the man responsible for their deaths is still alive." The eyes of the Leaf ninja widened at that, but Sasuke's expression didn't change. "I found out that their last act was to protect me. I'm sure you can guess how I felt about all of that. So I do know what it's like to know one person took everything away from you, and I know what it's like to want revenge. But I didn't let it control me and I didn't abandon anything, because those precious to me are more important to me than that. Besides, killing him won't bring them back." He looked straight at the Uchiha, avoiding eye contact for obvious reasons. "You said you threw away your bonds so you could focus on getting the power you needed to kill Itachi, but I didn't throw away mine and I still became strong. I became strong to protect those precious to me, and from the looks of it, I finally surpassed you." Naruto's gaze hardened. "I'm giving you one last chance, turn away from this path. If you continue this way, then you have no future." He wasn't kidding. He wasn't going to try to convince him to return again after this.

Sasuke closed his eyes, before he looked up at the blond and smirked. "I already told you, there's nothing left in that village for me."

Naruto's eyes narrowed before he shrugged "… Fine. To be honest, I didn't expect you to turn back anyway. The time for talk is over."

"How right you are." A sinister voice rang out before an enormous snake burst out of the ground behind Sasuke, its mouth open as it closed in on the Uchiha. Sasuke turned around, his eyes wide as he disappeared into the serpent's mouth. Naruto made a move forward only to jump back as the Snake Sannin burst from the ground, his Kusanagi ready to impale him. "My apologies, Naruto, but I can't allow you to abscond with my protégé at this stage." Orochimaru smirked.

Naruto's eyes narrowed and he charged forward, the Sannin made no move to defend himself and was cut in half in a single slash, only for him to turn into a mud clone as the giant snake vanished in a burst of smoke, the Kusanagi doing the same a moment later. Naruto grit his teeth in anger before extending his senses to the maximum range and finding nothing. The traitors were gone.

"Naruto… are they…?" Yamato began.

"Gone… I can't sense them." Naruto answered. He clenched his fists before taking a breath and turning to Sakura. She turned away from the rest of the team, keeping her pained expression hidden as tears fell from her eyes. "We've still got six months to try and save him, Sakura."

"… Yeah… you're right." Sakura said as she turned and wiped off her tears.

Yamato waited a few moments before deciding it was time to head out. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>They spent the rest of the day traveling on their journey back to their home. They spent the rest of the day traveling at full speed through the trees. As night fell, Yamato summoned created another house for them to rest in. They all sat together in the same room.<p>

"Sai, what exactly was Danzo planning?" Naruto asked.

"… I was sincere in my desire to help you bring Sasuke back, but the truth is, that mission was a front." Sai said and the other teen's eyes widened. "My true mission was to use that to infiltrate Orochimaru's organization and assassinate Sasuke Uchiha."

"What?" Sakura asked in shock.

Yamato cupped his chin in thought. "I see… so Danzo wasn't betraying the village, he was helping it in the way you would expect from a militaristic hardliner."

"Yes, he never planned on allowing Orochimaru to keep the information in that folder." Sai continued.

"You said you were really planning on helping us, why?" Naruto asked.

"I told you. You were right, I want to understand emotions, and the bond that I had with my brother." Sai said as he looked at Naruto. "Danzo taught us that emotions are a weakness that eventually leads to war, but it was your desire to protect what's precious to you that made you the way you are. I can understand why they would lead to war, seeing Sasuke, but you have someone who took everything from you too, and you weren't overcome by hatred." Sai gave his fake smile. "You're a lot like my brother. You're just as tenacious as he was and you take threats against those close to you the same, though a you're a bit more dignified. He also didn't believe in ROOT's teachings on emotions." Sai continued before his eyes suddenly widened. The others looked at him curiously as he quickly grabbed his backpack and tore through it, pulling out his book. He opened it to a particular page and looked at it in deep concentration.

"What is it?" Sakura asked, a quizzical expression on her face.

"I finally remembered." Sai said as he took out his brush and began to draw. The others looked at him curiously as he continued to draw, finally he finished and revealed what he had drawn for them all to see. It was the unfinished page of the book, but now, the two brothers were the holding each other's hands with smiles on their faces. "I wanted to show it to him…" Sai now wore a genuine, but sad smile. "The picture of our dream… to be free of ROOT." the others smiled at him. It seemed the pale teen was on his way to regaining his emotions. That didn't mean they fully trusted him yet, but they wanted to help him, no one should have to go through what those in ROOT did.

* * *

><p>Later that night, they were about to head to bed.<p>

"Sakura, can I talk you for a second?" Naruto asked.

"Huh? Sure." Sakura answered.

"Good, come on." Naruto lead Sakura outside and made sure they weren't being followed. "Sakura… when we fought Sasuke, you held back. I saw it on your face, you didn't believe he would kill us until he came at you."

"I know… it won't happen again next time." Sakura replied dejectedly. She was disappointed with her performance during the mission, not to mention the outcome of the battle.

"Sakura, I want you to understand exactly how this could turn out." Naruto said and Sakura's expression turned to curiosity. "Let me ask you something… if worse comes the worse, are you prepared to kill Sasuke?" Sakura's eyes widened as she gasped and she took a step back.

"Wha-…what?" she asked quietly. "Naruto… how could you say that?"

"Do you remember what I told him if he continued like he is now, than he has no future, I wasn't talking just about Orochimaru taking his body." Naruto explained, he paused as Sakura was still in shock over his question. "Back there, he really tried to kill you, and remember, he said he only spared me on a whim. Sakura… when we fought at the valley of the end… he used Chidori on me. It went all the way through my right lung… and he was smiling… the only reason I'm still alive is because of the Kyuubi." Sakura's expression turned to horror as she heard that.

"That… that can't be…" She knew he couldn't have known about the Kyuubi then… which means he had honestly expected him to die.

Naruto closed his eyes, choosing his words before looking up at Sakura again. "Sakura… if he would do that to us, imagine what he would do to any other leaf shinobi? Sasuke's a missing-nin. Normally, if we brought him back alive, he'd be executed. The only reason he's being spared is because Grandma Tsunade's being lenient, probably because of us. Tell me, what will happen if he ever killed another ninja of our village, and don't tell me he wouldn't do it. What would happen if he committed some crime at the order of Orochimaru in another country?"

"… Lady Tsunade couldn't be lenient, either because he went too far or because those he hurt wouldn't stand for it."

"He's the first friend I ever had and I know how easily I could have wound up in his shoes. That's why I want to save him and I'll keep trying as long as I can. But I'm also prepared, and you should be too, for the chance that he may one day be completely lost to the darkness or become a true threat to the village. If that happens, all we'll be able to do is kill him before he falls any farther or hurts anymore people than he already has. Do you understand?" Sakura was silent for a long time before she finally responded.

"… Yes…" She said weakly as she recalled what Sasuke had been like at Orochimaru's base.

"I'm sorry you have to hear this, but it's the truth." Naruto gave her a few moments to process her thoughts. "Let's head back."

* * *

><p>The rest of the journey home was uneventful, though they all noticed Sakura wasn't particularly talkative, neither additions to the team asked about it. A little over a day later, they arrived back in Konoha, they went straight to the Hokage tower and Tsunade's office.<p>

"I see…" Tsunade said as Yamato finished his report. "Well…"

Naruto gave her a determined look. "We're not giving up."

"Heh," Tsunade smiled. "Alright, you're all on standby for now. Unless you're looking for more missions, you can all head home."

* * *

><p>Naruto walked through the village, heading to the compound he shared with his girlfriend. He thought of the mission and his conversation with Sakura. He didn't like it and hoped it didn't come to it, but the way things were going a good chance that they would have to kill Sasuke. As he closed in on his home, he suddenly stopped and tensed for a moment, feeling something touch him.<p>

It took him a second to realize who it was, and that was only because he had activated his sensory jutsu. When he recognized Fu's signature he smiled. That smile became even wider when he felt her arms wrap around his waist from behind, and a chin coming to rest on his shoulder. He gently placed his hands over the ones holding him, absently noting they were invisible along with Fu's face.

"You know, it's a crime that such a beautiful girl would hide herself like this. Why don't you come out and let me see your pretty face?" His answer was a giggle that seemed to come out of no where. He turned around within Fu's arms, and wrapped his own arms around the invisible girl who had previously been behind him before she suddenly shifted into view. Fu's arms moved away from his waist and wrapped around his neck, a warm smile on her face as well.

"Welcome back, Naruto." Fu closed her eyes and began to lean into the blond Uzumaki. In turn, Naruto reciprocated her gesture, only instead of leaning up like Fu did, he leaned down. When their lips touched Naruto took a moment to enjoy the feel of her lips against his.

However, the chaste kiss wasn't enough for Naruto, who had been away from Fu for over a week. Holding her in his arms again made him realize just how much he had missed Fu. The warmth that came from embracing her, the feel and taste of her lips, it sparked a passion in the blond that soon consumed his being.

He opened his mouth and began to deepen the kiss. His tongue licked Fu's lower lip, asking for permission to enter. Fu, experiencing the same feelings he was, opened her mouth and let her tongue meet his in an intricate dance. Eventually, Fu backed off, allowing Naruto's tongue to enter her mouth. She moaned as he began to exploring her, which spurred Naruto on and made him kiss her that much more passionately.

Fu could feel her legs turning to jelly from the passion of the kiss. Her legs gave out a moment later and Naruto's arms tightened their hold around her waist to keep her from falling. She couldn't believe how amazing the kiss was. It was mind blowing, their desire for each other intensified by the fact that they'd been apart for the first time since they became a couple. Her hands found their way into Naruto's hair as she began kissing him back just as hard.

The kiss ended with the only reason being that the two were running out of oxygen. Fu breathed deeply, her face flushed red as she snuggled her head in Naruto's chest and tried to get her breathing and heart rate under control. "If this is how were going to meet after not seeing each other for so long, then maybe we should stay away from each other more often," Fu said jokingly.

She could feel the rumble of Naruto's chest when he chuckled. "But if we did that I would miss you too much. Besides, we don't need to stay away from each other for such a long period of time, just to enjoy moments like this." With that he raised Fu's head from his chest and kissed her again, just as passionately as the one they had shared moments before.

"I finished... cleaning up... the main house and... the library." she informed Naruto after the kiss had ended, her breathing hard and her face flushed. It took a few moments to recover, but when she regained enough of her mental functions to speak again she pouted. "I had to do all that work by myself."

Naruto grinned at his girlfriend. "Well, I guess I'll just have to make it up to you won't I?"

Fu had a grin of her own. "Really? What do you have in mind?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"I look forward to it." The green haired girl said before sharing a chaste kiss and separating. "So, how did your mission go?" Naruto's face fell slightly. "Oh…"

"Yeah… it was a failure. We met Sasuke, but he, Orochimaru and Kabuto got away. I had to reveal a lot more of my skills than I'd have liked, but I kept some secret. I think we were able to get through to Sai."

"That's great. From what Ero-sensei told us, I wouldn't wish what those of ROOT go through on anyone."

"How was your mission?"

"Well, the mission I was sent on when you left went great. The assassin turned out to be Aoi Rokusho and I got his bounty, not to mention a keepsake."

"That so? What kind of keepsake?"

Fu smirked. "Guess."

Naruto thought about it a moment, but with how little she'd told him about the mission so far, only one thing came to mind. "You mean the Raijin no Ken?" he asked, obviously surprised.

"Yeah. I actually just got back from another mission earlier today. We had to wipe out a group of bandits that had been plaguing a town about half a day from here."

"Well, sounds like you've had better luck than I've had. Let's talk more at home, we've still got a lot to work to do with the place." Naruto grinned. Of course, when he said 'they', he meant their clones. Naruto took her hand in his and the pair returned to their home.

* * *

><p>In her room in the Hyuuga compound, Hinata stood with her back against a wall, a troubled expression on her face as she thought about a certain blond, lost in her thoughts. Earlier that day, she had been training with her team, and she had barely been able to concentrate, her enthusiasm and focus falling to a low not seen in years. Her teammates had worried about her, and although he didn't say anything about it, Shino had correctly guessed what as wrong with her. She had assured them she was fine, but this was far from the truth.<p>

Her admiration of the blond had soared when she had heard the truth about him. But, along with that admiration came an almost overwhelming sense of guilt. She had always watched him, ever since he saved her from bullies when she was young. She still remembered that day clearly.

She had run away from her family's compound in tears, having once again lost to her younger sister and knowing that her father had lost faith in her. She accidentally bumped into one of a trio of kids who recognized her as a Hyuuga. They immediately assumed that she, like most Hyuuga, thought she was better than 'commoners' like them and began to insult and degrade her, forcing her onto her knees and making her apologize again and again. That was when Naruto came. He refused to allow them to bully her, even though he didn't know her, and fought for her even though he was outnumbered.

She had been watching him ever since that, following him and making sure he never discovered her, certain she would faint and afraid of how he would react. She knew he was treated like an outcast, like she was within her clan, but she hadn't known until then just how great his burden really was. When she found out that almost the entire village had once believed he was the Kyuubi and just how badly he was treated because of it, she realized how much he had craved to have people close to him. The knowledge had caused her to fall into a state of depression, realizing how, despite the fact that he had inspired her to get become strong, despite the fact that he was largely responsible for her becoming the confident kunoichi she was today, she had never been there for him. It wasn't until his fight with Neji that she had really done anything for him, all because she had been to shy to speak up and let him know that she truly loved him.

She had heard that Naruto had returned to Konoha about two weeks ago when she returned from her last mission, though she hadn't yet seen the blond and she had heard that he had been promoted the special jonin. She had barely been able to hide her joy, knowing that the blond had grown that much and that many now saw him as the great person she always knew he was, though she was sure at least Shino, Kurenai and Neji noticed she was happier than she should be. But then she had heard rumors… rumors that he was already in a relationship with their village's newest kunoichi, the Jinchuriki from Taki.

Perhaps it was naivety on her part, or maybe she just didn't want to consider it, but she hadn't thought much of the fact that he had been traveling with a girl for the past two years. '_What if it's true?_' she thought. '_What if he really is in a relationship already? He's been with her for the past two years and she must have experienced the same loneliness he has…_' she clutched her chest, her heart aching as she thought of Naruto with someone else. '_No… They… they're probably just rumors... I'm sure they just have the same kind of friendship Naruto has with Gaara._' The blue haired girl assured herself. '_I have to tell him how I feel…_'

* * *

><p>In the headquarters of ROOT, Sai knelt before Danzo, having just finished giving the war hawk another report.<p>

"It's very unlike you to fail." The old man noted as he looked down at his subordinate, an emotionless expression.

"I have a request." Sai said.

"A request?" Danzo questioned.

"May I keep this name and keep working with Naruto for a bit longer?" Sai smiled, unlike his previous smiles, this one held traces of genuine emotion. Something the leader of ROOT took notice of. Danzo wondered what was going through his subordinate's mind.

It didn't matter; he kept his ear to the ground and knew of the Jinchuriki's relationship. Something he, of course, didn't approve of. He also didn't approve of the fact that the Second Hokage's sword had been given to someone whose loyalty hadn't been proven in his eyes, nor the fact that she now inhabited the Senju clan compound and had access to their secrets. He had intended to order Sai to work with and keep an eye on them anyway.

Fu because he trusted her less than he did most of the inhabitants of the village (outside of ROOT, he truly trusted no one), and Naruto because he was the heir to the Uzumaki clan, a fact many had forgotten due to his status as Jinchuriki and the fact that the clan had been wiped out years ago, and he had been given the Senju clan's legacy. If his father's identity became common knowledge in addition to that, he would become very influential within the village.

"Very well, though, you'll have to ask Tsunade. If she allows it, I want weekly reports on the progress of the Jinchuriki."

"Yes, Lord Danzo."

"And remember, emotions lead to hatred, and hatred leads to war."

* * *

><p>Within a large chamber in cave that served as an Akatsuki lair, 'Tobi' stood along with the silhouettes of two Akatsuki members: the Rinnegan bearer and the only female member. They were looking at the massive form of the Sanbi. The beast lay in the center of a ring of six pillars of rock. The ground surrounding the beast and the pillars were covered in seals which kept the Biju contained and unconscious.<p>

"I trust the repairs are proceeding as expected." Pain asked as his silhouette turned to face the masked figure.

"Of course." Madara answered, having no reason to keep up his guise with only Pain and Konan present. "Konoha has become more of a problem than anticipated. The Kyuubi and Nanabi Jinchuriki have flourished under Jiraiya's tutelage."

"Shall we make their capture our priority once the statue is repaired?" Pain asked.

"… No… Konoha's Will of Fire will demand that they do everything in their power to protect them. We would have to face the entire village. It would be best to focus on the other Jinchuriki first, though we may wish to turn our attention to them if they continue to interfere." Madara said. "Have Itachi and Kisame located the Rokubi?"

"Yes, the Jinchuriki is traveling in the Land of Birds. They should have him by the end of the week." Pain said.

"Good." Madara replied. "Once repairs are complete, we will seal both Biju immediately. As soon as the Sanbi and Rokubi are sealed, have Kisame capture his original target." Pain nodded before he and his partner faded out of existence. Madara spared the demon one final glance before he vanished in a vortex centering on his eye.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you liked this chapter. I want to keep Sasuke's storyline canon, at least until Itachi's death, so they had to get away.<strong>

**JackOfBladesX suggested I go with a five stages of loss theme for Hinata's reaction to Naruto and Fu's relationship. I thought it was a great idea, so that's what I'm going with. Thanks again, JackOfBladesX. Obviously, she's currently on stage 1: Denial.**

**Please review.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Well, here's chapter 13.**

**A reviewer asked if I knew that Tobi wasn't Madara. Yes, I know that, however, I already had the Kyuubi confirm he was Madara in my story and I don't think he would make a mistake like that, so Tobi will be the real Madara in my story. Although, I guess I could go back and rewrite those parts.**

**Also, a friend of mine, Naruhinasakufan1, wanted me to let you know that he will soon update his NaruFuHina story, Betrayal II.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>Naruto awoke in the master bedroom of his new home for the first time. As he began to stir, the first thing he noticed, as usual, was Fu's warm body snuggled against him. He smiled as he looked down and saw the girl in his arms. Deciding not to wake her, he gently and carefully separated from her and moved to the side of the bed. After he sat up, he turned to her, still wearing his smile as he admired her face, partially hidden by strands of her mint green hair. He gently brushed the strands off of the tan girl's face before running his fingers through her hair.<p>

After a moment, he got up and began to walk out of the room. As he passed by the dresser, he stopped and looked at what Fu had placed on it, recalling the conversation he'd had with her about it the previous night.

_(Flashback)_

_Naruto and Fu stood in their bedroom, both ready for sleep. After returning home, they created shadow clones and ordered them to work on the compound while they talked over a meal, mostly about their missions and the new bonds they forged over them. After that, they trained until sunset. They spent the rest of the day together and explored the other buildings of the compound. Well, more like Fu showed him what she had discovered while he was gone. As Naruto prepared to lie down, he noticed what Fu had placed on the dresser. _

_Two pictures, one was a picture of them during one of their first dates. The pair was sitting down, Fu leaning against Naruto who had his arm wrapped around Fu's shoulders. Naruto giving his trademark fox-like grin while Fu had a gently smile. Naruto smiled when he saw this, remembering the time he spent with Fu in that town and their first kiss. It was then that he looked at the second picture and his eyes widened slightly. _

_It held a smiling couple who appeared to be in their late twenties, the woman holding an infant wrapped in a white blanket that was obviously Fu and the man had his arm wrapped around her waist. Both had tan skin, the man had black hair tied in a short ponytail, eyes that matched his hair and wore a standard Taki flak jacket, while the woman's hair and eye color matched Fu's and she wore a forest green battle kimono. The two stood within their village, Taki's sacred tree and the lake surrounding it in the background._

"_Hey Fu." Naruto said to his girlfriend, getting the green haired girl's attention. "You never showed me this before." he said as he picked up the older picture. Fu's face fell slightly when she saw this._

_"Sorry… as you can guess, that's me, my mom, and my dad." Fu said to the blond as she sat down on their bed. He saw the troubled look on her face and immediately became worried. All he really knew about her parents was that they died when she was very young. He knew not all Jinchuriki were lucky enough to have parents who cared for them… just look at Gaara's parents (as far as they all knew anyway). He sat down on the bed beside her, still holding the picture._

_"I can tell something's troubling you, you know you can tell me anything." Naruto said and Fu saw the concern in his eyes. "If you don't want to tell me…"_

_"It's not that… It's just… there's not much to say. It wasn't too long after they took that picture that they…" she trailed off. "… I was too young to remember them and no one ever told me anything about them. I know their names, Aoki and Mizuko. Aside from that, that picture is all I really have of them. I used to look at it and wonder… what things would be like if they were still alive… I used to dream about them being there for me… then when I found out about the Nanabi, I started to wonder what they would have thought of me if they'd lived to see it sealed into me."_

_Naruto gave her a reassuring smile. He was glad now that he hadn't told her what he knew about Gaara's parents. "Is that what you're worried about? I'm sure they would have loved you." The blond told her._

_"How can you be so sure?" Fu asked. "How do you know they wouldn't have seen me the same way everyone else did?" Naruto took her hand in his._

_"Did Shibuki see you that way?" Naruto countered. "Fu… I used to think the same way. I didn't know anything about my parents… I used to wonder if they abandoned me, but look how it turned out. My parents loved me; they gave their lives for me. Think about everyone who sees you for who you really are. I'm sure they'd have seen you as the beautiful girl I love."_

_Fu didn't seem entirely sure, but smiled to him all the same. "Thank you, Naruto."_

_(End flashback)_

Naruto remembered how he used to wonder about his parents before Jiraiya had told him about them. He knew from experience that nothing short of being told they loved her by someone who knew them would really ease her worries about their feelings towards her and, at best, she'd do what he did before he found out about his own parents: come to peace with not knowing and put it out of mind.

After looking at the picture for a few moments, he walked outside and stood on the second floor roka (the hallway-like passages on the outside of some traditional Japanese homes) and was greeted by a beautiful sunrise before he looked down on the Zen garden. It was still overgrown and badly needed tending, but even in its current condition, it retained some of its appeal.

As he looked down on the garden, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist from behind. Naruto smiled and turned his head, meeting eyes with Fu.

"Good morning, Naruto." Fu said, returning his smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"How could I not with you beside me?" Naruto smirked. He tilted his head downward and bought their lips together. They closed their eyes as they shared a brief but passionate kiss before they slowly pulled their faces away from each other.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Fu asked.

"Well, I was hoping to surprise you and have breakfast ready, but I guess I blew it, huh?" Naruto replied. Fu let go of Naruto and moved by his side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. Fu leaned onto him, resting her head on his shoulder as he held her close. The two looked out, enjoying the sight of the morning sun and their garden.

"I still have trouble believing we really live here." Fu said.

"I know what you mean, Fu." The pair stood there, enjoying each other's company and the sight before them in silence.

* * *

><p>Fu and Ino walked into the Konoha Hot Springs, each wearing a towel. The Yamanaka had invited the green haired girl to join her at the Konoha Hot Springs. She and Naruto had left 50 clones at their compound to continue to clean and repair the remaining buildings each and 150 which were training in a clearing outside the village, the clones were divided between mastering the Rasengan, the Uzumaki seals, a few select jutsu from their library. In addition, some of Fu's clones were working on her lightning chakra flow technique while some of Naruto's were working on the Hiraishin.<p>

As they entered the hot springs, they heard a content sigh and found Tenten already relaxing in the spring. The girl's eyes were closed as she sunk into the water.

"Tenten?" Ino asked. The brunette opened one eye and saw the two approaching. "I've never seen you around here before. I didn't know you used the public baths." Tenten raised a brow.

"Are you kidding? I'm a regular here." Tenten replied before her face twisted into a grimace. "You know what my teammates are like. I need to take every opportunity to relax."

"Really? I get what you mean with Gai and Lee, but Neji seems normal compared to them." Fu replied.

"Yeah, well he may be more normal than they are but he has no problem with their insane routines." Tenten began as her fellow kunoichi eased themselves into the hot spring. "I mean, do you know what their idea of a light workout is? Running hundreds of laps around Konoha nonstop. There was even one time Gai-sensei and Lee ran until they actually collapsed from exhaustion. They don't make us participate in most of their crazy routines, but still we never even stop to take a break."

"Sounds tough." Fu commented.

"You have no idea." Tenten sulked before looking to the green haired girl. "I know Asuma's pretty laid back, but what was Jiraiya like? Considering how much Naruto improved, he has to be a good teacher."

"That goes without saying. He did train the Fourth Hokage too." Fu gained a far away expression as she recalled her travels. "He made sure we were well rounded and pointed out any weaknesses in our technique, but he also liked to let us figure things out for ourselves. He's good at thinking up unique training methods. It was thanks to his methods we gained enough control to use genjutsu and he's got the vast knowledge you would expect someone of his level to have…" Her expression turned into a frown. "…Although, his antics outside of training can be a bit annoying."

"You mean he's really as big of a pervert as they say he is?" Tenten asked with a raised eyebrow. She had been curious of her idol's still loyal teammate.

"Yeah… he can be childish too… and when I first met him, he proudly referred to himself as a 'super-pervert'." Fu said.

"You're kidding." Ino said in disbelief.

"No… then there was the time he spent almost all of our money on sake and women… but he's not always like that." Fu smiled at the end. "He's definitely as strong as all the talk about him says, maybe even stronger. He's usually pretty cool when he's not being a pervert. He's very perceptive and he cares a lot about us. He's like a father, or grandfather to us, but I guess most senseis are like that."

The other two nodded, thinking of their senseis before Tenten turned to the Jinchuriki of the Nanabi and smiled with a slight gleam in her eyes. "Hey, I hear you have a weapon made in Takumi village."

"Yeah it's true." The girl nodded and looked slightly worried when the gleam in her fellow leaf kunoichi's eyes grew.

"And is it true that you retrieved the Raijin no Ken and Tsunade gave it to you?"

"Yes… you want to look at them?" Fu asked, slightly hesitant due to the girl's enthusiasm.

"Really? You'll let me?" Tenten asked. Fu leaned back as the normally bun-haired girl suddenly got right in her face, close enough that their noses were almost touching. The green haired Jinchuriki sweat dropped as she saw stars appear in Tenten's eyes and was almost afraid she would go blind due to the amount of light that seemed to be shining from them.

"Sure." Fu said and Tenten backed off.

"The legendary sword of the Second Hokage and a blade created by the finest craftsmen in the elemental nations. I can't wait." Tenten said with an excited expression and her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

"Wow, you're really enthusiastic about this, aren't you?" Fu asked rhetorically.

Ino sniggered slightly. "That's putting it mildly. She's probably the number one ninja tool aficionado in the village."

* * *

><p>After relaxing in the hot springs for half an hour, Fu and Tenten traveled to the training ground frequented by Team Gai while Ino had to head back to her families flower shop. Standing in the clearing and facing Tenten, Fu summoned Okibi no Yaiba and handed it to the weapon loving girl who immediately took it with an ecstatic look on her face, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she took in the craftsmanship of the weapon.<p>

"Amazing… look at the unparalleled craftsmanship… the beauty of the blade… the design… it's incredible. I want it so badly…" Tenten said as ran her eyes along the sword.

"Well, sorry. It was made specifically for me by the best craftsman in the village, so…" Fu said.

"I know…" Tenten said slightly dejectedly. "It's an amazing blade. I can tell you take good care of it. What's it called and what does it do?"

"It's called Okibi no Yaiba and it can generate fires as powerful as any jutsu with minimal chakra, surround itself with intense flames and absorb any fire based attack." Fu explained. "Naruto has a similar sword."

"Really? I'll have to ask him about it. Who made them for you?"

"An old man named Seimei. He's pretty much the leader of their village."

"Do you think he'd make a weapon like this for me?" Tenten asked hopefully.

"Well… he won't make you a sword unless he likes you… and they're really expensive. That sword cost 5 million Ryo." Tenten's eyes widened before she sighed dejectedly.

"Oh well… So, how about the Raijin no Ken?" Tenten asked as she handed the sword back to the green haired girl who resealed it before summoning the Second Hokage's blade. Naruto had already added the same seals he had to their other swords to the famed blade. She activated the blade and the brunette marveled at the glowing sword, stars as bright as the Raijin's blade appearing in her eyes.

"Wow… just like all the books said… amazing." Tenten said in awe as she held the blade. "Do you realize how lucky you are to have weapons like this?"

"I know. There aren't many weapons in the world of this quality and not many can say they had such a blade made for them." Fu said.

Tenten continued to look at the glowing blade before looking to Fu again. "If Lady Tsunade gave you this blade and you've had Okibi no Yaiba all this time, you must be pretty good with a blade."

Fu smirked. "Yeah. Want to see firsthand?"

Tenten smirked back. "Exactly what I was thinking." She handed the Raijin back to the special jonin, who switched out Okibi no Yaiba and fell into her stance while Tenten pulled out a scroll and summoned a katana.

"Ready?" Fu asked as she prepared to launch herself at her opponent. Tenten nodded and got into her own sword stance. "Alright, don't hold back."

"I don't plan to." The two kunoichi kicked off the ground and clashed blades. Tenten's eyes widened as she was almost immediately pushed back.

Fu lashed out as Tenten stumbled back and the brunette was hard pressed to defend herself against the special jonin. She blocked a downward slash only for Fu to follow up with a kick to her stomach, sending her back a few feet.

Tenten dug her feet into the ground and slowed to a stop before she leapt forward and made a slashing motion only for Fu to jump back out of range. The chunin continued her assault and Fu chose to take the defensive. Tenten felt slight frustration as she slashed and stabbed at the girl, who easily parried and deflected all her attacks. The Jinchuriki was not only more skilled than her, she also had an advantage in speed, strength and reaction time.

Finally, Tenten slashed downward and Fu locked blades with her one final time before suddenly pushing her blade up, disarming the girl. Tenten's eyes widened as her sword sailed through the air and eventually impaled itself in the ground while Fu pointed the tip of her blade at her.

"You're pretty good, considering that from what I hear, you focus on long range combat." Fu said as she resealed her blade.

"Thanks, I guess… but I wish I had something like that sword." Tenten replied as she retrieved her katana. "If I had something like that, I might be able to fight on the front lines for a change."

"What do you mean?" Fu asked as she watched the brunette reseal her sword.

"… All the other members of my team specialize in close range combat, although Neji has learned one mid-range attack. That leaves the long range support to me." Tenten said as she put away the scroll containing her sword. "It's not like I mind, but if I had something like that sword, I could fight at close range too."

Fu shrugged. "You don't need a special weapon for that."

"If you're saying I should just keep training or learn some other jutsu…" Tenten started.

"That's not what I meant." Fu cut her off. "I mean, why don't you try learning chakra flow techniques?"

"Huh?" Tenten raised an eyebrow before she rubbed the back of her head in an embarrassed manner. "Sorry, my sensei's about as enthusiastic about taijutsu as I am with ninja tools. It's to the point that he'd rather use a regular disguise than the Transformation Jutsu, so…"

"Really?" Fu replied in disbelief. "Well, chakra flow techniques involve channeling your chakra into weapons or through the user's own body. Channeling raw chakra increases strength and durability and channeling elemental chakra has various effects. Channeling fire chakra through a weapon surrounds it with intense flames, earth increases its defense, hardness and destructive power, water chakra strengthens the blade and can be more easily shaped, mastery of water chakra flow will allow you to guide water along the path of your attacks, wind sharpens the blade to the point that it'll cut through a weapon that hasn't been enhanced and lightning imbues a weapon with lightning, shocking whatever it touches and causing numbness, while also causing the weapon to vibrate at a high frequency, increasing its cutting power even more than most wind techniques." The green haired Jinchuriki explained. "Want a demonstration?"

"Why not?" Tenten replied.

Fu turned to one of the targets in the clearing. She summoned a kunai to her hand and channeled her lightning chakra through it. Lightning coursed around the blade as Fu threw the blade. Tenten's eyes widened as the kunai hit the target dead center and went through the target, the tree behind it, and a boulder before imbedding itself in the ground. "If I had channeled lightning chakra into my blade when we sparred, it would have cut through your blade on the first strike."

Tenten whistled at the damage. "I see what you mean… if I learned that, it would increase my effectiveness at close and long range. Well, depending on what my chakra nature is anyway."

"If you're interested, I could help you with that. I'm sure Naruto would too and Asuma's fighting style mainly focuses on fighting with his trench knives and chakra flow."

"Thanks… I'll have to look into that… I may just be able to fight on the front lines from now on…"

* * *

><p>Sakura stood in the training ground where Team Kakashi had their bell test, staring at the three polls with a troubled expression. As she continued to stare, the events of that day ran through her head. She felt mortified as she recalled she hadn't even been able to see through a simple D-rank genjutsu and her reaction to seeing Sasuke buried up to his head. Afterwards, all the good times ran through her head, before frowning as the memory of Sasuke leaving flashed before her eyes, followed by the memory of their recent encounter with the Uchiha. A few moments later, a voice broke her out of her thoughts.<p>

"Ryo for your thoughts, Sakura?" Sakura turned to see Kakashi walk into the clearing, his left hand in his pocket while he held his present from Naruto in his right.

"Oh, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura said as she turned to the masked ninja.

"I hear you've been looking for me. I can tell by your face something's troubling you." Sakura looked to the ground as Kakashi stopped a few feet away from her. "I hear you had a run-in with Sasuke. What happened, exactly?" Sakura told the jonin what happened and what Naruto told her. Kakashi was silent for a moment.

"I see… he's matured more than I expected over the past few years…"

"Is he right, Kakashi-sensei?"

"… Sakura… over my career, I've seen just how bad people like Sasuke can get. I know it's hard to hear this, but he's right about what could happen to Sasuke. If he continues the way he is, he'll eventually go too far. Then, there will be no saving him." Sakura looked to the ground dejectedly. Kakashi paused for a moment before he continued, putting away his book. "I hope you understand what Naruto was trying to do."

"I do… he wants me to be prepared if it comes to that."

"Not only that, he doesn't want you to hesitate next time." Sakura looked to him. "The way he is now, Sasuke wouldn't hesitate to kill you. If you hold back next time…" the copy ninja trails off and Sakura's gaze fell back to the ground. "I have to apologize, Sakura. I said things I shouldn't have to reassure you, back when Sasuke started to change." Sakura recalled Kakashi's words, his assurance that everything would go back to how it was before. "Maybe I was just trying to reassure myself. I know I haven't been a very good sensei…"

"… That's not true…" Sakura said.

Kakashi looked her in the eye. "No, it is. Back when we first became a team, I barely taught the three of you anything. I never tried to help you break your bad habits. It wasn't until the Wave mission that I began to seriously focus on helping any of you, and then, I focused on Sasuke." Kakashi explained. "I could tell he was heading down this path… I wanted to save him, not just because he was my student, but because I felt I owed his clan." Sakura looked slightly surprised. "I never told any of you, did I? How I got this Sharingan." Kakashi began, pointing his thumb to his hidden eye. "When I was the same age you three became genin, I had just made jonin. My teammates were a girl named Rin and a boy named Obito Uchiha." Sakura's eyes widened at that. "Back then, all I cared about was the mission and I held strictly to the ninja code. I believed that those who broke the rules were trash, I was willing to sacrifice my comrades if it meant completing my mission and I cared little for my teammates. It was Obito who showed me that my comrades were more important than the mission. That was on the same mission that we finally became friends… and the same mission where he lost his life." Sakura gasped. Kakashi paused and closed his eye before continuing. "What I am today, I owe it to him and our sensei… but now, all three of them are gone."

"… sensei…"

"I felt I owed his family because of that… and I wanted to save Sasuke from the darkness he was surrounding himself in… but, I failed. To make it worse, I focused on him to the point of neglecting you and Naruto. I failed to save Sasuke, and I failed to truly teach either of you, and for that, I'm sorry. All you two have become, you owe to Master Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade." Kakashi sighed. "I don't think there's even anything left I can teach Naruto… he's already surpassed me in many ways. He might appreciate it if I teach Fu some of my lightning jutsu, but anything else I could teach him, or her, they already know. If there's anything I can do to make this up to you, Sakura…"

Sakura stood in silence for a few moments before speaking up. "There is… you can start now and make up for lost time." The pink haired kunoichi began. "Naruto and Sasuke… they've both gotten so strong… I wasn't able to do anything… as I am right now, I'm almost useless to Naruto, and I can't do anything to help bring back Sasuke. If you really mean that, then help me catch up to them."

Kakashi eye-smiled at her. "Thank you, Sakura. Do you have any plans on how you want to proceed?"

"Naruto and Fu suggested I learn to use poisons, genjutsu and increase my speed. I've also found I have an affinity for the earth element and I have one jutsu I think would work well with my fighting style."

"Oh?" Kakashi raised a brow as Sakura pulled out a scroll she had burrowed from the Senju clan library. "Earth Style: Earth Spear, huh? You're right. This would work well with your fighting style, and they gave you good suggestions. Very well, though poisons aren't exactly my forte, I can help you with the earth element and genjutsu. I can also help you in your physical training. When would you like to start?"

"Now's as good a time as any."

* * *

><p>Naruto leapt from building to building as he quickly made his way through the village. After the two had breakfast, Naruto promised to treat her to the best date they'd had yet. For now he had some things to take care of, making reservations at Konoha's highest quality restaurant for said date for one, but right now, he was heading towards Tenth Training Ground. It was time he make good on his promise to teach his younger brother figure a new jutsu. He had met with Ebisu before he left on his last mission and asked if he could intrude on their training and teach Konohamaru the technique he promised. Ebisu weighed whether or not this was a good idea. On the one hand, the teen had taught Konohamaru that ridiculous Sexy Jutsu. On the other hand, he was a student of Jiraiya who had been promoted to special jonin and had already managed to teach the boy the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Ultimately he decided to allow it on one condition. Apparently, the man was planning to nominate his team for the next chunin exams and wanted him to teach each of his genin a new technique or skill. Naruto didn't see any problem with that and agreed.<p>

The blond smirked as he approached his destination. He had gotten his fellow special jonin to keep this a secret. He vanished from sight as he neared the training ground where the unsuspecting genin waited.

Meanwhile, Team Ebisu stood in the Tenth Training Ground. A clearing in the forest that contained straw dummies and a stream. Ebisu had told them he had something special planned for today, but hadn't told them what that was. As expected, they were anxious to find out what it was he intended to teach them.

"Alright, what are you going to teach us, Ebisu-sensei? You've been talking about hyping today up for over a week. What are you going to teach us?" Konohamaru asked enthusiastically. Ebisu chuckled as he looked down at his student. He raised his hand to his face and adjusted his sunglasses.

"Haven't I taught you to be more observant? I never said I planned to teach you anything." Ebisu smirked. His students looked shocked but before they could respond, they heard a voice from above them.

"That's right, a ninja should always look underneath the underneath." Naruto said as he appeared in a tree above them, the others hadn't even been aware of their presence.

"Naruto?" Konohamaru said, surprised to see his role model there.

"There you are. I was wondering for a moment if you'd acquired your sensei's habit of tardiness." Ebisu said, still smirking.

"You mean we're going to learn from Naruto?" Moegi asked.

Naruto jumped from the tree and landed before them. "That's right. Well, to be honest, I was just going to deliver on my promise to teach Konohamaru a new jutsu, but Ebisu asked me to teach each of you something."

"You should feel privileged to learn from a student of Jiraiya." Ebisu said, but then his smirk fell into a slight frown. "I hope you aren't planning to teach them another perverted jutsu." Moegi glared slightly at the mention of those techniques. She was pretty much her team's equivalent of Sakura.

"Relax, I don't do that kind of stuff anymore." Naruto waved off their concern. "You know, we didn't really have a chance to talk last time, how've you been doing while I was away?"

"Great. We've grown a lot over the last few years." Konohamaru answered with a wide smile. "But then, you've grown too, right." his smile turned to a grin, "So, I hear you have a girlfriend."

"You heard right." Naruto replied. "Her name's Fu."

"She's that girl you came back with, right? What's she like?" Udon asked.

"Well, she's strong and kind, and she's always willing to help someone she cares about." Naruto replied with a smile. "She's typically not afraid to speak her mind and she's as loyal as I am." his smile faded. "But she had a lot of bad times in her old village. We've both experienced the same kind of treatment, but I was the first friend she ever had. We grew closer while traveling with Jiraiya, and eventually we fell for each other, but even when I first met her I was drawn to her eyes." the trio of preteens listened with rapt attention as he described her. "You can meet her later. Right now, we should focus on your training. Konohamaru, I already know what I plan to teach you, but I don't really know Moegi or Udon's skills. You all up for a spar?"

"Yeah, what do you say, let's show him what we can do." Konohamaru said.

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later, Naruto smirked as he looked down at the three genin, all of whom were buried up to their necks, completely unable to move.<p>

"Damn… we didn't even touch you…" Konohamaru said.

"Well, what'd you expect from the future Hokage?" Naruto replied with a smirk before creating three shadow clones to help them out of the ground. Ebisu jumped out of the nearby tree and landed beside the blond.

"So, now that you've seen their skills, what do you plan to teach them?" the man asked as the clones finished digging up his students.

"Well, I think I'll help Moegi improve her skill in genjutsu and teach her the Double False Surroundings Teachnique. I'll help Udon learn to use his element and as for Konohamaru… that's a secret." Naruto replied. Two of the shadow clones dispelled. "Alright, Konohamaru, come with me." Naruto said before jumping into a nearby tree.

"Right, boss." Konohamaru took off after the blond. Ebisu thought about it for a moment before deciding to trust the blond. As Naruto and Konohamaru traveled through the trees, Naruto used his sensory jutsu to ensure they weren't followed. They soon came upon a clearing which the pair landed in.

"Ok, what's this cool jutsu that you're planning to teach me?" Konohamaru asked as they landed.

"Alright, this technique is special to me, so don't teach it to just anyone, alright?" Naruto said.

"Yeah." Konohamaru nodded enthusiastically, smiling as if Christmas had come early.

"Good." Naruto pulled out a scroll and opened it revealing two water balloons. He threw the one in his left hand to Konohamaru. The preteen looked confused as he caught the water balloon. He stared at it for a moment before looking up at Naruto.

"…Is this a joke?" Konohamaru asked, all the excitement and anticipation in his voice and expression replaced with disappointment.

"No joke." Naruto replied with a smirk before holding up his water balloon. Konohamaru watched as the balloon began to grow misshapen before it finally popped. "I want you to pop the balloon by rotating the water with your chakra."

"… No offense, Naruto, but this doesn't seem all that impressive." Konohamaru said.

"That so?" Naruto smirked. "Well, it may not seem like much now, but let me show you the finished product." Naruto said as he walked over to a nearby tree. Konohamaru's eyes widened as Naruto formed a Rasengan in his right hand. He then watched in amazement as the blond thrust the orb of chakra into the nearby tree and drilled into it.

For several seconds the young Sarutobi just stared at the damage done by the Rasengan. However, it wasn't long before a grin formed on his face. Pumping his fist into the air, he said, "That was awesome! Is that what you're going to teach me?"

"That's right. Learning the Rasengan is a three step process. The first step is to learn to rotate your chakra, the second is to learn to focus a large amount of chakra into it, and the third step is to keep it compressed in the shape of a sphere."

"Alright, what's the next step."

Naruto raised his hand in a stopping motion. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Konohamaru. I'll teach you the next step once you finish this one."

"Piece of cake." Konohamaru replied before he began to force his chakra into the balloon and rotate the water. The balloon began to expand and you could see the water swishing inside the balloon, but its rubber held strong. After a few moments, he furrowed his brow, his facing taking on a look of deep concentration as he struggled to complete the first step. After half a minute, he glared at the still intact balloon as the water slowed to a stop. "What the?"

Naruto grinned. "Not as easy as it looks, is it?" he asked as Konohamaru began to try again. Naruto chuckled as he watched the boy's futile efforts and recalled his own attempts to learn the powerful technique.

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><p>"And by the end of the day, Udon managed to singe a leaf and Moegi made good progress towards learning the Double False Surroundings Technique." Naruto said. He and Fu sat on the tatami mat in their kitchen, enjoying dinner together. Naruto had nearly finished his, eating with almost as much eagerness as he did Ichiraku ramen. The blond had just finished telling Fu how his first day training with the three pre-teens went.<p>

"Sounds like they have a lot of potential." Fu noted. "How long do you think it'll take for Konohamaru to master the first step?"

Naruto shrugged. "I'd guess a week or two, his chakra control's a lot better than mine was when I learned it." the blond smirked. "I'd like to see the look on Ebisu's face when he sees what I taught him."

"It's too bad they already have a jonin sensei, huh? You've already got a strong bond with them." Fu said.

"Yeah, I think I'd like being their sensei." Naruto said as he briefly imagined being their sensei before frowning as he thought about the possibility of encountering the Akatsuki while on a mission with them and shook his head. "But with the Akatsuki out there, that would probably be a bad idea."

Fu frowned at that thought. "I know, I just meant hypothetically speaking." she said. "So, what're you going to do with them tomorrow?"

"Well, I'm going start off by having them exercise and practice with chakra control before we pick up where we left off." Fu nodded.

"Is there anything else you plan on teaching them?"

"Well, I think I might make some suggestions to Ebisu about their training and I'll recommend that Moegi learn medical ninjutsu, but from what I saw, he's doing fine." Naruto replied. Fu nodded, genjutsu and medical skills were a good combination, as both required fine chakra control and medical ninja were supposed to avoid close range combat when possible. The two ate in silence before Fu spoke up.

"Ah, right, Tenten may come by some time." Fu said.

Naruto raised a brow. "Tenten? When did you meet her?"

"At the hot springs today. She apparently goes there frequently. She's very interested in ninja tools and wanted to see Okibi no Yaiba and the Raijin no Ken. We sparred afterwards and I got her interested in chakra flow."

"Sounds good. So, how was she in a fight? Think you may have found a new sparring partner?"

"Possibly. She's good considering she's trying to master all types of weapons, and she's fast, from what I saw of Sakura and Ino, probably faster than most if not all other kunoichi in our age group aside from me, but she's not that strong and her stamina leaves a lot to be desired." Fu frowned. "I really feel sorry for her, I don't know how she survives with her team from what I saw of Gai and Lee."

"Yeah, those two are pretty… extreme…" Naruto commented before taking the last bite of his dinner. "Man, that was delicious."

Fu smiled. "You really like my cooking that much?"

"Are you kidding? This is great. You're almost as good as old man Teuchi, you might even be better one day." Fu blushed slightly at the complement. "Speaking of which, want to go out to Ichiraku's tomorrow?"

"Oh? Is this that date you promised?" Fu asked.

"No. Sorry, but for that I needed to make reservations and the earliest I could get was two weeks for now." Naruto replied. "Still, want to go out after I'm done with Konohamaru's team tomorrow?"

"Sounds good."

* * *

><p>Tsunade took a sip of sake from a saucer as she and Jiraiya sat in the living room of the Hokage Residence. Jiraiya had received a message from his old teammate and had rushed back to the village as quickly as possible. He had just arrived and had immediately gone to verify the message. Tsunade sat leaning forward with one arm resting on the table.<p>

"Tsunade, are you absolutely sure?" Jiraiya asked with anxiety clear in his voice, desperately hoping that there had been a mistake.

"I'm sure. Naruto described it to me, there's no doubt. The leader of the Akatsuki has the Rinnegan." Tsunade said. She didn't know about Nagato, so she didn't know why this was so important to the toad Sannin. "This isn't like you, Jiraiya. What's got you so worked up?" Jiraiya fell back into his seat.

Jiraiya stared down at the table with an unreadable expression for a moment before looking up at his former teammate. "… Tsunade… do you remember those three kids in Ame?" he said lowly.

Tsunade gained a look of recognition. "Those three? Yeah, I remember, what about them?"

"… While I was staying with them, I discovered that one of them, Nagato, had a certain Dojutsu…"

Tsunade's eyes widened. "Jiriaya… do you mean…?" she asked, in shock, having already figured out what he was saying. That the child may have grown into the apparent leader of the Akatsuki.

"Yeah… it was the Rinnegan." Jiraiya said grimly. "… I'd been told by the Great Toad Sage a prophesy…" he smirked and he gave a short laugh. "… I would become an extremely talented ninja and a pervert without equal…" his smirk fell. "… and that I would have a student… one who would have the power to save the world or utterly destroy it. When I saw his eyes, I believed that Nagato was meant to be that student. I'd heard years ago that those three died." The man closed his eyes. "The Rinnegan… there's almost no chance someone else awakened those eyes." When the toad sage opened his eyes, they showed fierce determination and his mouth was set in a thin line as he contemplated the fact that this man was likely his old apprentice and what he'd likely have to do.

Tsunade sat in silence as she listened to his words. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the look in his eyes and knew what Jiraiya was planning. "Jiraiya… if you're planning what I think you are…"

"Tsunade… it's either him, or whoever killed him stole his eyes. Either way, this is my responsibility."

"Now listen here! This is the power of the man who created the ninjutsu. It's too dangerous, even for you."

"No, you listen-"

The Hokage immediately cut him off. "Did you forget about your other apprentices?" she yelled, causing Jiraiya's eyes to widen.

He closed his eyes as he thought about Naruto and Fu… he knew if he went to face the man, whether he be his old apprentice or his killer, there was a chance he wasn't coming back. The two Jinchuriki weren't quite at his level yet and if he fought and lost the fight against the Rinnegan bearer now, most likely they'd eventually be captured by him.

After a few moments he spoke up. "Fine… I'll keep an eye on Ame, but I won't make a move until they both can control their Biju."

* * *

><p>The next day, Sakura approached the Third Training Ground for the second day of her training with Kakashi. The masked jonin had told her he needed to gather a few things before he could begin training her in earnest. He spent the day tutoring her on how to manipulate earth chakra and on genjutsu.<p>

She arrived in the clearing and was surprised to find Kakashi there, standing before the memorial.

"K-Kakashi-sensei? Y-you're early?" Sakura asked, taking a step back and moving her hands into a defensive position in front of her in shock, her mouth agape and her eyes widened and comically whited out. The girl looked as if she expected the sky to fall any second.

"Well, not exactly." Kakashi said and the pink haired girl looked at him curiously. "To be honest, I'm usually late because I visit this memorial."

"… I see…" Sakura said, remembering the story he told her yesterday and that he once told her his best friends name was engraved on the memorial.

"Anyway, since we're both here, let's get started." Kakashi said as Sakura followed him into the field. "For starters, put these on." Kakashi pulled out four weights.

"You want me to wear training weights?"

"That's right. You said you needed to work on your speed." Sakura nodded and put the weights on. "Ok, I want you to keep those on at all times except when you're on a mission. For now, I want you to train on the lake. You don't really need anymore training with chakra control, but it'll force you to burn your chakra more quickly. Together with those weights, it should help improve your stamina."

"Alright, Kakashi-sensei."

* * *

><p>That evening, Naruto and Fu walked through the village to Ichiraku's Ramen Bar, both wearing smiles on their faces as they held each other's hand, their fingers laced together.<p>

The two teens eventually reached their destination and entered the small ramen shop. There were a few other customers who turned their heads at the couple, some giving them a nod, but it was a fairly slow day for the ramen stand.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite customer and his girl." Teuchi said with a smile.

"Good to see you, old man." Naruto said as he and Fu sat down.

"Same here, so what can I get you two?"

"I'll have three bowls of miso ramen to start." Naruto said.

"I'll have what he's having." Fu added.

"Alright, I'll have your orders ready in no time." said Teuchi before heading back to the kitchen.

"Hey, Naruto, Fu, nice to see you." Ayame said as she came to greet the pair.

"You too, Ayame. Sorry we didn't really get to talk last time." Naruto said.

"It's alright." Ayame said before turning to the Nanabi Jinchuriki. "I hear things have been going well for you. What do you think of Konoha?"

"It already feels like more of a home than Taki ever did." Fu replied.

"Glad to hear it. So, Naruto, have you seen everyone since you got back? A lot of people missed you and I have to say, it's been kind of boring without you around."

Soon, Teuchi finished their food and Ayame talked to them while they ate, asking about their training trip with Jiraiya with Teuchi joining in whenever he wasn't busy, they had talked about some of their exploits but hadn't had time to talk about everything the day they arrived at the village and the ramen chef and waitress had both been too busy to talk last time they visited. By the time they left, Naruto had eaten fifteen bowls of ramen and Fu had eaten ten.

Naruto showed her some places she hadn't seen yet and they ended their date at the park. Night had fallen and the pair sat at the base of a tree near edge of the lake. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, the moon and the countless stars shined down on the village as the pair snuggled together. Fu rested her head on Naruto's chest and he held her close as they took in the sight of the night sky.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Fu asked.

Naruto looked down at his girlfriend with a smile. "Yeah, reminds me of all those nights we spent traveling with the pervy sage." the blond said. "It's perfect for spending time with the one you love. Although, it's not like there's a bad time to be in the company of such a beautiful girl." Fu giggled and tightened her grip on him.

"Naruto… Jiraiya-sensei's dream… your father's dream… do you think it's really possible?" Naruto looked into Fu's eyes. "The elemental nations… there's so much bad blood between them… the ninja system is built on conflict. Ever since sensei told us his dream, I've been trying to think of a way, but, I can't think of anything. Do you really think there will ever be true peace?"

"I haven't come up with anything either… but I'm not going to give up. I'm sure that one day, we'll make it a reality." Naruto said.

"Well, I don't plan on giving up either." Fu said.

Naruto looked up to the sky. "Who knows? Maybe this conflict with the Akatsuki could be just what the elemental nations need for it. Uniting to fight against a common enemy, it could be the first step towards ending the fighting between our nations."

Fu nodded. "True. Now all we need to do is not let them catch us."

Naruto's gaze turned back to Fu. "Fu, I would give my life to protect you. And I trust you with my life." he tightened his grip on the girl and smiled. "We'll win in the end, because we have each other and all our friends. Because we fight to protect everyone we care about." Fu smiled and raised her head. "And most importantly because I'd pay any price to protect you and I know you'd do the same for me."

Fu leaned her head up and Naruto reciprocated, bringing their lips together. After a few moments, Fu, wanting more, deepened the kiss and soon opened her mouth and began to explore his mouth with her tongue. Naruto followed suit and soon, the two shared a passionate kiss, their eyes closed and tongues engaging each other in an intricate dance as Naruto wrapped both his arms around Fu and she wrapped her own arms around his neck, both so consumed by their passion that they were almost oblivious to their surroundings as they melted into their embrace.

Unbeknownst to them, a certain someone had been looking for Naruto. A pair of Byakugan eyes watched from afar before their owner screwed them shut, tears stinging her eyes before she ran back to her home. Hinata Hyuuga had seen the whole thing.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed this chapter.<strong>

**Please read and review.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry it took longer than usual, but here's chapter 14.**

**By the way, I decided to raise the rating include a few lemons later on, provided I turn out to be any good at writing them.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p>Neji was worried, and he wasn't the only one.<p>

Ever since that day two weeks ago when she came home in tears, his compassionate and gentle cousin had changed, and not for the better. She had become cold hearted and serious, pouring herself into her training. If he had to compare her to someone, it would be him before Naruto and Hiashi opened his eyes, without the belief in fate, the arrogance and condescension. Her team and her family were all worried about her, but she refused to speak of what had caused this change.

He knew what must have been the cause. Hiashi and her team had also guessed it. She must have found out about the object of her affection's new relationship.

Neji made his way to the training ground of their compound, where he knew his cousin would be. Sure enough, when he slid open the shoji door; he was greeted by the sight of his cousin, in the middle of an intense training session. The girl's Byakugan blazed as she attacked a training dummy, striking rapidly at where a person's tenketsu would be. He watched as his cousin continued her relentless assault without acknowledging his presence, eventually making a strike where the heart of her opponent would lie, before stopping. She looked down to herself and frowned, apparently finding some flaw with her performance, before she fell into a form her cousin was all too familiar with, the stance for the Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palm technique. At this point, he decided to interrupt.

"Lady Hinata." Neji called out. The blue haired girl stopped and turned to him, making him frown when he saw the dispassionate stare that had become her new default expression.

"Yes. What is it, Neji?"

"You seem to have been troubled with something recently." Neji observed as he started closing in on her. "Would you like to take a break and have a walk around?" He asked in a rare lack of his usual stoicism, showing his cousin a small smile.

Even though that caught her off guard for the briefest moment, Hinata frowned. "You don't need to concern yourself with what I'm doing, Neji."

Neji's smile faltered a bit, showing concern on his face. "Hinata, I'm just worried about you. When I was consumed with hatred for the Main House, you never stopped trying to help me see the error of my ways. How can you expect me to just sit by when you're in pain?" Neji began. Hinata's expression remained unchanged. "I know what's causing it and from what I've observed, any attempts to get between them will only end in misery for all parties involved. If their relationship isn't successful and they break up, then you will have an opportunity, but there isn't really anything sensible you can do right now."

Hinata stared at him with her frown deepening. He didn't understand what she was feeling at all. If he did, he'd be helping her. She'd always wanted more than anything else, with ending the Caged Bird Seal and bringing her family together being a close second, to be with Naruto, and he was just telling her to give up? "… If that's all you came to say, then you've wasted your time." Hinata walked back into the compound. "Goodbye, _Neji_."

Neji's eyes widened a bit at how she addressed him, before letting out a strained sigh. He had doubted anything he said would have made any real impact. After a few moments, he too entered the compound, walking towards Hiashi's study.

Meanwhile, Hinata headed towards the clan library, the stoic, expressionless look characteristic of the Hyuuga, but so out of character for her, on her face. As she made her way through the compound, her thoughts strayed back to that day almost two weeks ago. She had just gotten back from a mission and had heard Naruto was back as well. She had decided that, since it was the first time they were both in the village at once, she would find the blond and finally confess her feelings. The young heiress could still feel the pain when she had used her Byakugan to find him (which she had used to… observe… him in the past. That memory brought a crimson blush to her face) only to see him kissing that girl.

Soon, all of the jealousy and pain she felt afterwards had turned into a burning anger that was now hidden beneath her calm exterior. For the first time in her life, Hinata truly wanted to hurt another person. As she reached her clan's library, having already been there to look and see if there were any clan or village laws she could exploit to help her win Naruto over without any success, the young Hyuuga heiress began searching for scrolls on her family's taijutsu style, looking for ways to increase her skills.

* * *

><p>Neji reached Hiashi's study, intent on speaking to his uncle about his cousin's change. The clan head sensed his presence as he approached.<p>

"Come in, Neji." the man beckoned before the white eyed teen even had a chance to call out. Neji slid open the door and joined his uncle in his study. The man sat on a cushion in front of a chabudai. He had been writing something before Neji approached and was now putting away his pen as his nephew entered. Neji sat on the tatami mat on the other side of the table.

"Lord Hiashi, I believe you can guess as to the cause of this visit." Neji said and Hiashi sighed.

"Yes. I take it you spoke with Hinata." Hiashi closed his eyes. It was a painful subject for him. He had put the clan above his daughter's well-being and pushed her away when she was younger. He had made good progress towards repairing their relationship over the past three years since the chunin exam, but now, she was shutting herself off from everyone. "I assume things didn't go well?"

"Yes. She refuses to open up, to me or her teammates. I fear she may not be thinking clearly and might eventually do something drastic or stupid." Neji explained. Hiashi's expression didn't change. After a few moments of silence, the clan head responded.

"I trust Hinata is rational enough not to do something that would endanger her standing in the village or the clan. I do fear that she may do something in the heat of the moment though."

* * *

><p>Naruto sat with Team Ebisu, finishing a meal he brought them after completing the physical portion of their training for that day. Aside from a brief absence while he and Fu were on a B-rank mission, he spent the last two weeks helping the team train while his shadow clones allowed him to improve his own skills. The older special jonin had been impressed with his progress with his team. Moegi had learned, though not mastered, the Double False Surrounding Technique and the blond was currently helping her with her overall skill in genjustu and taijutsu, as well as her speed with basic techniques such as the replacement jutsu. Something he had learned through his training trip and made sure they knew too was that the basics were important. Udon had completed the burning leaf exercise and today, Naruto was going to teach him his first fire jutsu. Konohamaru had managed to complete the first step towards learning the Rasengan a few days ago, using his free hand to rotate the water as Naruto had, and had moved on to the rubber ball. On the second day of their training, Naruto began adding the same seals Jiraiya had used on him and Fu on their trip to weigh them down during their exercises, which would help them increase their strength, speed and stamina.<p>

"So, how long are you going to be helping us, boss?" Konohamaru asked as he took the last bite of his meal.

"Well, I guess until you finish learning that jutsu and Udon learns at least one fire element jutsu. Of course, if you want help after that, you can come by any time." Naruto said.

Ebisu looked to his fellow special jonin. "Naruto, exactly how long is it going to take for Konohamaru to master this jutsu?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know, could take another week or two."

"What exactly are you teaching him?" Moegi turned to the blond. She and Udon had grown more and more curious as time passed.

Naruto smirked. "It's a secret. I will tell you this, it's an A-rank technique and it's a lot more complex than the Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Moegi pouted at Konohamaru. "Aw, come on, just a little hint?"

"Nope, sorry. Boss made me promise not to say anything. What kind of pupil would I be if I didn't follow his number one rule, to never go back on my word." The boy replied.

After a few moments, Naruto spoke up. "Hey, Moegi." He said, getting the girl's attention. "What do you think of being a medic-nin?"

Moegi, who was about to take a bite of a rice ball, looked up at Naruto with a curious expression. "A medic?" she asked. She had never considered it before.

"That's a good suggestion." Ebisu noted. "You have the fine chakra control required and your Genjustu would allow you to aid your comrades while avoiding combat."

"Exactly what I was thinking." Naruto agreed. "Just keep in mind that if you do decide to become a medic, you shouldn't neglect your taijutsu. Never know when you're going to be forced into close range combat." He paused for a moment. "Anyway, it's time to get back to training." the blond said as he stood up and created two shadow clones. "Alright, come on, Konohamaru." he beckoned and the preteen nodded and followed him through the trees while the clones and the rest of the team stayed behind.

"Alright, Udon. I'll be teaching you Fire Style: Fireball jutsu." the Naruto clone said as they walked to the nearby stream. "Now, the Fireball jutsu is a good starting technique. It was originally created by the Uchiha clan and was used as their coming of age jutsu. To use it, you have to knead chakra into flame within your chest and breathe it out. Despite its name, it could be an actual fireball or a continuous stream of fire. You have to be careful with this or you could burn yourself, got it?"

Udon looked slightly disheartened. "That's why we're near the stream isn't it?"

"That's right. Don't worry about it, it won't do anything major. Okay, now the seals are snake, ram, monkey, horse, and then tiger. Allow me to demonstrate." the clone said before turning to the stream and making the necessary hand signs. He was skilled enough with the C-rank technique that he could have used it with just the final two seals, but since he was demonstrating it, he decided to leave nothing out. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Udon watched in awe as Naruto breathed out a stream of fire that ended in a large fireball that hovered over the water, which rippled underneath the roaring ball of flame. He could have made one much larger, but he decided to make one the size a genin of Udon's skill and stamina should be able to make. After a few moments, the jutsu ended and the fire subsided. The clone turned back to the genin. "Alright, whenever you're ready." the copy said, taking a few steps back.

Udon nodded and took a step forward, looking nervous as he reached the lake. After a moment, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and looked forward with a determined expression. He made the hand signs the clone had told him and breathed in deeply. '_Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!_' he coughed, releasing a small burst of flame. He put his hands to his chest and throat as he continued to cough for a few moments before looking at the Naruto clone in a disappointed manner.

"Don't worry about it, that's what you should expect on your first try." the clone said reassuringly. "I'm sure you'll get it in no time."

* * *

><p>Somewhere in the desolate, rocky landscape of the Land of Earth, a lone figure stood amongst half a dozen corpses, looking down at one unmoving body that was impaled through the chest with a pike, lying in the center of a symbol engraved in the ground in blood. Said symbol an equilateral circumscribed triangle. The one man standing was carrying a corpse over his shoulder. Both he and the man he was looking at were wearing black robes with red clouds and had forehead protectors with a slash across them, showing they were members of Akatsuki. The one standing wore a mask and a Taki forehead protector, while the impaled man had slicked back silver hair and wore the forehead protector of the former hidden village Yugagakure. After a few moments, the masked man, going by the name of Kakuzu, spoke up.<p>

"Your rituals are grating on my last nerves." He glared at his lying partner, whose eyes turned to him.

"Shut up, Kakuzu. It's part of my religion." the seemingly dead man, Hidan, said before he began to sit up. He then ripped the pike out of his chest without making any indication of feeling pain. "So, where to next? Off to capture a Jinchuriki, I suppose?" he asked as he collapsed the pike and put it away.

"If you bothered to pay more attention instead of fantasizing about your next kill, you would already know the answer to that." Kakuzu remarked, ignoring an indignant "Screw you!" from his partner. "Have you forgotten? As long as the statue is damaged, we're limiting our actions to gathering intelligence on the remaining Jinchuriki and money."

"Yet the others are collecting two of the Biju in the meantime." Hidan said as he stood up.

"They are exceptions." Kakuzu explained. "Konoha's Will of Fire will ensure they will do everything in their power to rescue their comrades. If we captured the Nanabi or the Kyuubi, we would have to deal with Konoha attempting to retrieve them for the next two months. Kumo sees their Jinchuriki as heroes and you already know the Ichibi Jinchuriki is the Kazekage. They would have a similar response. However, the Sanbi and Rokubi do not belong to any village at the moment; no one will come to rescue them."

"Okay, what about the guy we're checking on here? The Yonbi Jinchuriki? Iwa didn't exactly pull out all the stops to bring back the Gobi." Hidan pointed out as he pulled on the cord attached to his triple bladed scythe, causing the weapon to fly through the air and return to its wielder.

"The Gobi's host was not a relative of Onoki of Both Scales. It's too much of a risk." The Taki missing-nin replied gruffly. "Iwa may attempt to retrieve him and at worse, the Tsuchikage himself may intervene."

Hidan scoffed, as he swung his scythe and rested the weapon on his shoulders. "So? I hear he's, what, 80 years old, and he isn't an immortal like you. What's he gonna do, crack his back at us?" He then shrugged, holding up his right palm. "God, Kakuzu, I never knew you were such a pussy."

Kakuzu glared at the apparently immortal man, his legendary rage once again demanding he find some way to end his partner's existence. Though recently, he had grown more appreciative of Hidan. After all, as annoying as the silver haired man was, if he wasn't paired with him, he'd be the partner of the far more irritating Tobi. On top of that, after a failed hunt resulted in the deaths of two of their members, as well as the loss of one of their rings, ensuring its bearer could not be replaced, he had no doubt that their leader wouldn't be as lenient as he had been in the past if he killed another of his partners. "That mouth will get you killed one day."

"Che, if there was someone able to kill me, I'd let them."

"In that case, you should seek out the Tsuchikage." Hidan narrowed his eyes at the heart stealer. "Onoki has not been Tsuchikage for so many years for no reason. He is one of the most experienced ninja in the elemental continents, next to myself. He is obviously not one to be taken lightly." Hidan just chuckled dismissively. "In addition, he uses the Dust Style of the second Tsuchikage, it's only user aside from him, in fact."

That got Hidan's attention. "Dust Style? What's that, a Kekkei Genkai?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not just a Kekkei Genkai, a Kekkei Tota." Kakuzu began to explain as Hidan put his scythe away, attaching it to his back. "It's an advanced nature that requires three elements, earth, wind and fire, instead of two like all others. In order to learn it, you require an affinity for all three elements. The Dust Style allows the user to manipulate molecules, a Dust Style jutsu tears anything caught within its power at a molecular level, literally reducing them to nothing but dust in the wind, hence the name." Hidan's eyebrows shot up when he heard this. "As I said, he actually is capable of killing you. Your apparent immortality will do you little good if your entire body is reduced to dust."

Hidan whistled, even he had to admit that was impressive. "Well, what do you know? There's actually someone capable of killing me after all." he mused before raising his hands in front of him in a placating gesture. "Alright, alright, I get it, don't fuck with the senior. So, where're we going?"

"First, we're going to a bounty station." Kakuzu replied.

Hidan scoffed. "Your money obsession again?" he groaned, palming his face. "I swear, do you get off on getting a pay day or something?"

Kakuzu glared daggers at the man. "They are our orders and I'm not going to pass up a 40 million Ryo bounty."

"Alright, so who is this guy, anyway? I didn't catch his name." Hidan asked.

Kakuzu turned his head to glance at the corpse he was carrying. "Kitsuchi, the son of Onoki of Both Scales."

Hidan chuckled. "Well, if we weren't on the old man's shit list before, we certainly will be now."

"For once, we are in agreement. Their attack makes it clear that although they made little effort to retrieve the Gobi, Akatsuki is no longer welcomed in this country and Onoki will no doubt take his son's death personally. We should make haste and finish our duties here." Kakuzu replied before turning to begin the journey to the nearest bounty station. "Once the statue is repaired and the Sanbi and Rokubi are sealed, we will pursue your target, the Nibi."

"Fine, let's get going." Hidan said as he followed after the miser with a smirk. "Maybe we'll get lucky and I'll be able to make another sacrifice to Lord Jashin."

"Hidan, if you keep rushing in head first thinking only of your next kill, you really will get yourself killed one day." Kakuzu replied, not turning back at his partner.

Hidan chuckled. "Yeah, right. Far as I know, the only one able to kill me is that old man. No way I'm going to go out fighting some washed up old timer or some brat like half of the Jinchuriki we haven't caught."

"That's what Deidara thought." Kakuzu countered.

Hidan scoffed. "That guy was an overconfident punk. I'm not like him at all."

Kakuzu glanced back at his partner and raised an eyebrow. "Then why am I constantly sewing you back together and bailing you out when you get in over your head?"

Hidan snarled at his teammate. Unable to refute that statement, the scythe wielding missing-nin responded with the most eloquent and mature reply he could come up with, "Shut the fuck up, Kakuzu!"

* * *

><p>About halfway through the day, Naruto left Konohamaru with a shadow clone and headed home. He had to get ready; the reservations he made for himself and Fu were for today. As he stepped inside the grounds of their compound, he stopped and took a look around at their handiwork. Well, technically, it was their clones' handiwork.<p>

After two weeks and 100 clones working every day, the compound was almost fully restored. The overgrown plants around the estate had been taken care of, the garden behind their mansion had been tended to, most of the necessary repairs had been completed, and most of the buildings had been cleaned. They didn't completely clean all the dwellings' interiors, after all, there likely wouldn't be anyone living in them for a long time, but they did fully repair and clean a fair number of them for guests and made sure the unused buildings were in decent enough condition.

Naruto had a small smile on his face as he looked around and thought of his future. He had always wanted a family. When he found out about his mother's clan, he began to wonder about yet another family he never knew. After reading everything the Senju clan's library had about them, he had made up his mind and added a new goal to his list: to revive the Uzumaki clan. He already had a home for it and someone he wanted to one day start a family with.

As he walked through the compound towards the main house, his thoughts were interrupted as the sound of metal colliding with metal reached his ears. Already knowing the source of the sound, he vanished from sight and reappeared on a roof, looking down on the private training ground in the compound. It was fairly large but not nearly large enough to accommodate their shadow clones, hence the reason they trained in a clearing outside the village.

In the center of the training ground, Tenten and Fu were sparring. Tenten took Fu's suggestion on chakra flow and came by for advice when it turned out she had the lightning element. She bought a black katana made of a chakra conductive metal, which would make chakra flow easier and more effective. Though, being a weapon master, she'd like to have more than just the one weapon made of the material, it was very expensive. Nowhere near as expensive as a unique ninja tool, but still, she couldn't afford to upgrade all her close range weapons.

The match was already drawing to a close. Fu easily blocked several attacks from Tenten before jumping over the girl, turning in mid-air and launching herself at her upon landing, Tenten was pushed back by the female Jinchuriki's attack and Fu followed up with a knee to her stomach and then a kick to the chest. Tenten landed sprawled on the ground but as soon as she moved to get up, she found Fu had her sword inches from her face.

"You've gotten a little better since last time." Fu noted as she backed off and resealed her sword, allowing Tenten to sit up.

"Yeah, well, I am focusing on training with just one type of weapon for once." Tenten replied.

"True." Fu agreed before turning to Naruto with a smirk. "Did you enjoy the show?" Tenten followed Fu's gaze and her eyes widened slightly when she saw the blond.

"Of course." Naruto smiled before appearing beside them with a Body Flicker. "Shame I only caught the end though." He turned to the brunette. "How's it going, Tenten?"

"Fine. I'm starting to get the hang of using lightning chakra. It's too bad I can only afford one chakra blade, though." Tenten said as she got off the ground.

"I think it's better that you're focusing on one type of weapon. I mean, it's good to specialize, but it seems to me like you're overdoing it by focusing too much on weapons." Naruto noted.

Tenten glared slightly at the blond, placing her hands on her hips. "That's easy for you to say. Some of us don't have the advantage of being able to train at an inhuman pace by abusing the Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Fu chuckled while Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, yeah, that's true. But look at your idol. Grandma Tsunade's not only a master of medical jutsu, but also taijutsu, she's one of the best seal masters in the village and she's probably skilled at genjustu given her chakra control."

"… You have a point there." Tenten sighed. All she really had were her weapon skills and taijutsu. She knew Naruto was right, recalling her fight against Temari.

Fu took on a thoughtful expression before adding, "Well, he's right that it's a good idea to be well rounded. But you know, the Samurai of the Land of Iron fight exclusively with kenjutsu, chakra flow and physical prowess, and they have one of the most powerful militaries in the elemental nations. Still, you should probably pick up at least one other skill."

Tenten considered their words for a moment. "… I'll think about it." she said finally. As much as she liked weapons, she knew that most of the best shinobi were indeed well rounded and she decided to try to think of other skills that would work well with her fighting style.

Fu then turned to Naruto with a smirk, calling her sword back to her hand. "You know, it's been a while since we've sparred."

Naruto crossed his arms with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I was just thinking the same thing. We've got the time, how about we have one round before we get ready to go."

"Sounds good. Want to go all out or should we have some limits?" Fu asked. Tenten looked excited. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew the green haired Jinchuriki didn't have to take her seriously during their spars. This was her first chance to see the two of them go all out.

Naruto thought about it for a moment and answered, "Let's just stick to kenjutsu." before taking his place on the training ground and summoning Hisho Taichi as Tenten moved to the edge of the area.

The two Jinchuriki grinned excitedly before sliding their feet apart and falling into their stances. They stood still for a moment before launching themselves at each other at such speed that they vanished from sight, reappearing at the center of the training ground as their swords met. Fu disengaged, dodging a slash from her fellow Jinchuriki before retaliating with a slash from the right.

Tenten watched in awe as the two traded blows. During their spars, Fu rarely used more effort than necessary, now she saw what the two were truly capable of. Fu had a slight speed advantage, but not enough to overwhelm Naruto. The match continued, both dodging, parrying and countering the other, neither gaining the upper hand.

Naruto made a sweeping motion with his sword and Fu jumped into the air. She came down with a spinning slash. Naruto blocked the blow, but Fu followed up with a kick aimed at his head. The blond jumped back before launching himself forward as Fu landed, clashing blades with the girl. Naruto blocked three attacks from Fu before parrying a stab and countering. Fu sidestepped the attack and Naruto made a second attack, locking blades with her.

Naruto pushed forward and rather than fight him, Fu spun back, allowing his blade to slide across hers and lashing out with a kick aimed at the blonde's chest. Naruto sidestepped her attack and countered. The green haired girl ducked under his attack and tried to sweep his feet out from under him. Naruto jumped into the air and spun, with his sword held out as he moved towards Fu, using the momentum to increase the power of his attack. Fu channeled chakra into her arms and legs and blocked the attack, her feet digging into the ground slightly.

As the two pushed against each other's swords again, Fu smirked. "Remember when you tried to use that trick on Ero-sensei?"

Naruto gave a smirk of his own. "How can I forget? That's when I learned he could shoot the needles from his Needle Jizo technique. One minute, I think I'm about to beat his clone. Next thing I know, I'm a living pin cushion."

The match continued for a while, Fu went on the offensive and Naruto countering all her blows, the sounds of their blades clashing ringing throughout the training ground until Fu ducked under a slash and much to Naruto's surprise, grabbed his wrist with her left hand. Fu raised her sword, intent on bringing the match to an end only for her eyes to widen as Naruto managed to lash out with a kick, connecting with her wrist and disarming her. Fu returned the favor, knocking his sword away and both jumped apart, their swords on the ground feet away in either direction.

Naruto gave Fu a grin before he summoned Hisho taichi and resealed it, calling the Kiba blades to his hands shortly after. Fu smirked as she did the same and called the Raijin to her hand as Naruto began to channel his chakra into the Kiba blades to defend against the Raijin's powers. On the side lines, Tenten's eyes lit up as she anticipated seeing the legendary lightning blades clash.

As Naruto shot forward, Fu closed her eyes briefly, focusing on her chakra. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw an aura of chakra and lightning surround Fu, the blue lightning produced by her chakra intertwined with the yellow lightning of the blade, enhancing its powers and signaling the activation of her Lightning Shroud. That's what she was calling it for now; it may or may not be its final name.

Though she continued working on it, despite knowing the Raikage already had such a technique, she decided to produce her own technique using the concept. Admittedly it had been improved since her battle with Sasori, yet the technique was still incomplete. It technically didn't break the rules they had set, so long as she only used it to enhance her speed and reflexes.

Naruto brought down his swords in a cross formation as Fu raised the glowing sword of the Second Hokage to block it. Lightning arced from the collision as the two apprentices of the toad sage fought to overpower the other before they broke apart and began a fierce exchange of swordplay, the advantage granted by Naruto's two sword style negated by Fu's faster movement and enhanced reflexes.

Tenten watched in awe as the two continued their exchange of swordplay. The two Jinchuriki's skill with their blades was near equal and with their swords and techniques negating the advantage they had over the other, they were in a stalemate, neither able to catch the other with an attack that would end the match as the fight continued.

Naruto parried a stab from Fu and countered with a downward slash from his other sword. Fu blocked but saw it was a feint, ducking under a slash that went just over her head. She lashed out with a kick that sent the blond through the air several feet. He flipped in mid-air, landing on his feet and immediately blocking a follow up attack from Fu, managing to catch the lightning blade between his swords.

He lashed out with his elbow, aiming for her chest, but Fu's enhanced reflexes allowed her to dodge, though she was unable to avoid his subsequent knee, which dug into her stomach. Fu jumped back, dodging a follow up kick. As soon her feet reached the ground, she slid back into her combat stance as her blue eyed opponent did the same, both waiting for the other to make a move.

Naruto looked to the sky and seeing the position of the sun, decided they should stop there. "How about we call it a draw?"

Fu seemed to debate it for a moment before nodding. "Fine." Both resealed their blades and Tenten joined them, noting that the two weren't even winded. The green haired girl turned to the chunin. "So this time, did _you_ enjoy the show?"

"Oh yeah. Thanks for letting me watch. Too bad, you guys haven't taken enough missions yet, you should definitely be jonin by now." Tenten said.

The blond gave a short laugh. "Tell me about it. Well, we've got a reservation to keep, so we have to get going. Feel free to take a look at the library if you need pointers or help with anything." Naruto offered as he turned away. There was nothing irreplaceable in the library aside from the scrolls on the clan history, which Tenten wouldn't take anyway, and a few special water and earth scrolls, which she wouldn't need. Besides, they trusted her not to take them without returning them later. The scrolls Naruto's father left were hidden elsewhere.

"No thanks, maybe another time. I'm going to get back to training, I want to get chakra flow down as soon as possible." Tenten replied before heading towards the exit of the compound.

Fu started to follow Naruto before calling after her weapon loving friend. "Remember the house warming party we're having tomorrow."

"I know. My team and I'll be there."

* * *

><p>Sakura rested on a bench, slumped over with her arms and head lying on the bench's arm with Ino, who was chuckling at her as the sun set over the village. Kakashi had been pushing the pink haired girl hard in an effort to increase her stamina, which had seen some improvement though it was too soon for any significant results. He had increased her weights and with them weighing her down, combined with a day of harsh and chakra exhausting training, she had only managed to make it to the bench before needing to rest. At the moment, she was just glad that Kakashi decided to allow her to remove the arm weights while she wasn't training. Ino had happened to walk by and noticed her fellow kunoichi's condition and asked her what happened.<p>

Sakura groaned. "I never knew Kakashi-sensei could be so demanding. This makes my time training under Lady Tsunade look like the academy."

"Yeah, this seems a lot like what Tenten said Gai put her through. Think he might borrow anything else from them?" Ino said with a grin. She out right laughed when Sakura paled slightly.

"Don't even joke about something like that." Sakura groaned as the blonde laughed at her expense. "If I'd known this is how he'd make up for lost time, I'd have trained by myself or gone back to Tsunade. "

"Or maybe you should have gone to Naruto and Fu for help. I hear Naruto's doing well with Konohamaru's team." Ino suggested before looking up at the sky, raising her hand and brushed her bang away from her eye."… Things sure have changed a lot since we became genin, haven't they? I mean, if you would have told me back then that Sasuke was going to betray the village or that Naruto would grow up like he did, I'd probably have laughed in your face… after punching your lights out for calling _Sasuke_ a traitor." Her tone turned sickly sweet with that last remark.

"I know what you mean." Sakura nodded. "I knew he'd grown the day he came back, but I still can't believe he lasted as long as he did against Orochimaru of all people, and he's still getting stronger."

"Yeah." Ino agreed. "Bet you wish you'd paid more attention to Naruto back at the academy, huh?" she said with a slight smirk. "He kept throwing himself at you, no matter what you did to him for all those years."

Sakura chuckled mirthlessly. "Believe me, I know." she said. "I used to think he was just some annoying brat who'd never amount to anything. After we became a team, I started to see how much he really cared about those close to him. He never gave up and always risked his life for us." she looked sadly to the ground. It had hurt a little when she had discovered he had moved on, but it's not like she could blame him. "When Sasuke left, I begged him to bring him back. I can't imagine how much that must have hurt him, seeing me so desperate to have Sasuke back while he wanted to be with me just as badly. When he came back and I saw how much he'd changed and his relationship with Fu, I wondered how things would have turned out if I'd given him a chance."

When she saw how depressed it seemed to make her, Ino regretted steering the conversation in that direction. "Sorry I brought it up."

"It's fine. I'm happy for them, really." Sakura said. "I don't feel that way about him and I'm glad he moved on. He's more like a brother to me. It's just… I wonder if I could have developed feelings for him instead of Sasuke if I'd given him a chance." she sighed.

Ino sighed as well, if her friend still thought that way about Sasuke even after he tried to kill her and she knew the truth about what Sasuke had done at the Valley of the End, she must really care for him. "What are you going to do if we can't bring him back?"

"I don't know…" Sakura trailed off. She loved Sasuke, but she wouldn't betray the village for him. If they couldn't bring him back… she guessed she'd just have to move on as Naruto had, as hard and painful as it would be. After a few moments, she spoke up again. "I heard Kurenai-sensei hasn't been with her team that often, any idea where she's going?" she asked Konoha's gossip queen.

Ino looked quizzically at her friend. "We see her around a lot, but she usually doesn't stay long and leaves with Asuma-sensei."

"I wonder what's up with them." Sakura pondered.

"They're probably just spending quality time together." Ino said dismissively.

"Yeah, but she wouldn't be leaving her team by themselves the way she is. It isn't like her, something must be up."

Ino waved off her concerns. "If there is, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

* * *

><p>Our favorite pair of Jinchuriki walked through the streets of Konoha, both smiling with their arms intertwined. They wore formal clothing, similar to what they wore on their first date, as they made their way to the restaurant where Naruto had made reservations.<p>

Fu noticed they were getting a few looks from the people around them. It wasn't the first time; they had gotten a few looks last time they went out as well, but to a lesser degree. Despite all the ninja knowing, the civilians had not yet been informed that she was also a Jinchuriki, though she was sure many probably knew. She was used to being stared at, but these were different than what she was accustomed to from her time in Taki.

There were a few looks of admiration towards Naruto, and to her surprise, looks of respect towards her and a few looks of jealousy towards both of them. There were one or two people who gave Naruto a look she was more used to. She almost sighed, but didn't want to bring this up with Naruto. It looked like there were still a few people who saw them as monsters, but at least they were in the minority.

They soon arrived at their destination. Naruto smirked as Fu's eyes lit up slightly as she saw the place. It was a Chinese styled restaurant. The floors were made of marble with elegant blue carpets, the tables and chairs made of mahogany and the chairs had comfortable red cushions. There were booths lined up along the wall and there were also three aquariums, one taking up most of the back wall, and two, one after the other, that formed archways to the hostess's desk, almost giving the impression of being underwater as one walked by.

The pair walked to the desk, Fu taking great interest in the aquariums, and were greeted by the hostess, a young woman in her early twenties with black hair and matching eyes.

"Welcome, how may I help you, today." the young woman asked.

"I should have a reservation for two under the name Uzumaki." Naruto said. The hostess checked the book and found his reservation.

"Yes, here it is." she said before putting the book down and stepping out from behind the counter. "Please follow me." with that, she led the pair to one of the booths. She bowed slightly and gestured for them to enter. Once they were seated, she said, "The waiter should be with you shortly, please be patient." before returning to her desk.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen anything like those aquariums we walked under before." Fu said with a smile as she looked outside the booth.

"Tell me about it. Pretty amazing, huh?" Naruto agreed.

"Thanks for bringing me here, Naruto."

Naruto smirked. Unbeknownst to her, there was a specific reason he brought her here. There were only a handful of Chinese eateries in the village, this one in particular had no specialty and served just about every Chinese dish. "No problem, I wanted to treat you like you deserved. Besides, it's not like I'll have any trouble affording this." Fu's smile widened at Naruto's words. Soon, the waiter came, bringing them tea to drink and asking if they'd like anything else. Fu noticed he didn't leave them a menu, but chose not to comment on it for now.

"So, how's Konohamaru doing with the Rasengan?" Fu asked after a few moments.

"Great. It shouldn't be long before he finishes the second stage. He's making good progress, but he doesn't have the same reserves we have or my healing ability, so he has to pace himself." Naruto answered, thinking back to when he was at that stage. He had been able to keep going all day and any damage he did to himself healed overnight. When he taught his father's jutsu to Fu, she hadn't had much trouble due to the control Jiraiya's training methods gave them and her similarly large reserves.

"How long do you think it'll take for him to learn it?" Fu asked.

"I don't know, couple of days for the second step. I think you were right, he'll have to use a shadow clone to help him form a Rasengan until his chakra control improves." Naruto replied. "Depends on how long it takes him to figure that out."

"You're not going to tell him?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I see what the Pervy sage was talking about, I think it's better if he figures this out on his own."

Fu nodded. "Yeah, it is better that way. It's a good lesson and it'll feel like more of an accomplishment. With your help, I'm sure they'll make chūnin in six months."

Naruto smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks, but I'm sure they'd have managed. They've definitely got the mind for it."

"You shouldn't sell yourself short, they've made great progress since you started with them." Fu said. After a moment, she spoke again. "Did you notice the looks we've been getting?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean that some people are respecting us? Yeah, I noticed." Naruto replied. "What'd you expect, I mean, we did save Gaara, and you brought back a village treasure."

Fu smiled. "That was nothing; it was just luck that we happened to run into the thief. I mean, Aoi wasn't even that strong. I doubt he'd have even lasted as long as he did as a missing Nin without the sword." It was true, the only reason the fight lasted so long was because he managed to get her angry and throw her off, something she'd made note of. After all, it was her who warned Naruto not to let that happen, she should know better than not to follow her own advice.

"Now you're the one selling yourself short. Don't forget Grandma Tsunade let you keep it. You know it's saying something when the Hokage has that much faith in you."

Fu smiled before looking outside her booth. "I wonder why the waiter didn't bring us a menu." She finally voiced the question that had been in the back of her mind throughout their conversation.

"I was waiting for you to ask about it. Hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of ordering already." Naruto grinned mischievously.

Before Fu could reply, the waiter returned. "Sorry for the wait, here are your orders." He brought Naruto a bowl of champon, a dish similar to the ramen he liked so much, but hers was chin-jou rosu, a slightly modified version of a traditional Chinese dish, consisting of thinly sliced beef with green peppers in oyster sauce.

"This is… you remembered?" Fu asked in astonishment. Back when they were travelling in the Land of Rivers, she had always ordered this dish when she had the opportunity, commenting on how good it was.

"That's right. I knew how much you liked it back then, and since you hadn't had it in so long, I looked specifically for a restaurant that served it. You know, you can only get this dish in two places in the entire village?" Naruto said with a grin.

Fu smiled back at the blond. "I don't know what to say."

Naruto smirked. "How about 'itadakimasu'?"

* * *

><p>"Where are you taking me, Naruto?" Fu asked as they walked through the forest outside the village. Night had fallen over the Land of Fire and once again there was a clear sky, the light of the moon and the sea of stars were shining through the breaks in the leaves as he led her by hand.<p>

"It's a surprise, just be patient." Naruto responded, looking back at her with a smile.

After a few minutes, a few glowing yellow lights flew by. '_Fireflies?_' Fu observed as they flashed ahead of them. Soon, her honed senses detected rushing water, not a strong flow, but she could still hear it.

"Alright Fu, here we are." Naruto said, brushing aside some low branches. Fu felt her eyes widen and gave a quiet gasp when she saw what was in front of her.

It was a clearing in the forest with a small stream running through the center. There were countless fireflies filling her vision, dancing in the air and illuminating the ground with flashes of pale yellow light as they continued seeking courtship, ignoring the couple who had entered the area. Together with the moon and stars shining down on them, it created a stunning sight.

"Wow!" Fu exclaimed, taking a few steps forward.

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it. I found it a when I was just a kid." Fu held out her hand and giggled slightly when one of the glowing beetles landed on her finger.

Naruto watched as the fireflies danced in the air around his girlfriend, their glow accentuating her beauty. As she watched the lights hover around her, Fu caught sight of the blond admiring her. It brought a smile to her face, seeing his entire focus on her, knowing from his interactions with others that she was the only one who gathered his complete attention like this. And the feelings were mutual.

Naruto stepped forward and joined her in the grove, standing directly in front of her. His left arm wrapped around her waist as he raised his right hand and gently cupped her cheek while she wrapped her arms around his neck. Their pools of orange and cerulean met and both saw their passion for one another as they lost themselves in each others' eyes.

Naruto leaned his head down and claimed Fu's lips with his own. Fu wasted no time and began applying pressure as the two shared a warm kiss. Soon, their gentle but passionate kiss began to heat up. The pair deepened it and before long, Naruto let his right hand join his left around her waist and his tongue snaked its way into her mouth, exploring it with fervor as Fu moaned in response. Fu's tongue joined his as they tightened their hold on each other and began a passionate duel with their mouths.

They broke apart, their lungs crying out for oxygen, both breathing heavily as they stared into each others' eyes once more, the fire in their souls having only grown in intensity. Soon, they brought their lips together again, resuming their duel of tongues as Fu's right hand found its way into Naruto's hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss.

Fu shivered as she felt his hands roaming across her back, inching their way ever so slowly and was slightly surprised when he pulled his mouth away. Smirking at her reaction, he trailed kisses down her cheek, eventually reaching her neck, making her give out a quiet moan. He passionately kissed the tender flesh at the juncture of her neck, noticing she tilted her head to give him greater access. He could feel the pulse of her heartbeat through his lips and made Fu gasp in pleasure when he gently nipped a particularly sensitive spot.

Their make-out session continued as the fireflies danced in the air and covered the clearing in their glow.

* * *

><p>The next day, Sai sat at a table in the library with several books before him. In an effort to learn how to form bonds more easily, he had begun checking out books on the friendship and connecting with others. As he read the pages, memorizing the books information, he sensed a presence behind him. He turned to find none other than the person who was mainly responsible for rekindling his suppressed emotions.<p>

"Hey, Sai." Naruto greeted as he approached the pale teen. "What're you reading?"

"Oh, just a book on forming bonds." Sai answered.

"Really? Did it give you any good advice?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, yes. A lot of good advice. For example, I've read I should give people nicknames or pet names to help make friends. I've already thought of a good nickname for Sakura." Sai said with a smile.

Naruto raised an eyebrow as he picked up one of the books. "Really? What?"

"'Ugly'." Sai said, his smile not leaving his face. His expression became quizzical when Naruto gave him a Look. "What?"

"… Sai… if you go around giving people nicknames like that, all you'll get is a punch in the jaw." Naruto explained.

"What did I do wrong?" Sai inquired.

"What do you mean? That was more of an insult than a nickname." the blond replied.

Sai nodded. "Then perhaps I should call her the opposite. How about 'Beautiful'?"

Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his head before giving Sai a slightly exasperated look. "… That's… more like flirting…"

"Oh? Perhaps I should find a book on that." Sai said as he began to get up.

"No." Naruto stopped him. "Look Sai, maybe it would be better if you observed how others interact and learned through experience. You know that I live at the Senju clan compound with Fu, right? Well, we just finished cleaning and repairing the place and we're having a housewarming party at 8:00. Most if not everyone I graduated with, our senseis, Grandma Tsunade, Jiraiya and a few others will be there. I came here to ask if you could make it."

"Hm… perhaps it would be better if I saw more of how people normally interact… I am obviously not very good at simply following the instructions in these books…" Sai mused. "Very well, but may I ask for your advice on nicknames?"

"Huh? Sure." Naruto said before sitting down and cupping his chin, looking to the ceiling in thought. "Well, firstly, you don't want to give someone a nickname that can be considered negative. That can work, but it's more likely to get you enemies or rivals. Also, some people have buttons you can press that would easily provoke them and if you make nicknames like you did, you run the risk of pressing them. For example, all of the Akimichi clan are… plump. Call any of them fat or anything similar, and they'll wail on you."

"If I recall correctly, you typically call Jiraiya 'Pervy sage'." Sai pointed out. "And Fu usually calls him 'Ero-sensei'. You also refer to the Hokage as 'Grandma'."

Naruto looked at Sai and shrugged. "Yeah, like I said, it usually doesn't help. Jiraiya's annoyed with what we call him. In fact, that's part of the reason we gave him those nicknames, but he's not the kind of person to let that seriously bother him. Besides, he's actually proud of his perverseness, so the names suit him. He's more annoyed by the lack of respect and the fact that the names imply he's a regular pervert, when he considers himself a 'super-pervert'. As for Tsunade, I can get away with that because we're like family. Actually, we really are related, if distantly. If anyone else called her something like that, she'd probably punch them through a wall… and that's if they're lucky."

"I see… this is more complicated than I thought." Sai commented.

"Anyway, you probably shouldn't give someone a nickname until you know them better and if you do, use something about them they're either proud of or don't care about. Also, you probably shouldn't put too much faith in what those books tell you." Naruto said before standing up. "Well, if that's all, I've gotta go. I've still got some people left to invite."

"I believe I will see you there." Sai said, seeing the blond wave without turning as he walked away before turning back to his books, keeping in mind Naruto's advice and making sure to take what he learned from them with a grain of salt.

* * *

><p>Naruto stepped out of the library. He and Fu had already invited Teams Asuma and Gai through Ino and Tenten, Iruka and the other members of Team Kakashi. That left only Team Kurenai, Jiraiya, Tsunade and Shizune. Flaring his sensory technique, he could sense the signatures of the countless inhabitants of the village. He then jumped up to a roof and took off in search of them.<p>

Kiba was riding on Akamaru, as he usually did these days. Since Naruto had left the village almost three years ago, the once small puppy had grown larger than his master. As the dog leapt from rooftop to rooftop, on his way to his team meeting place, he caught a familiar scent. Both he and his partner turned their heads slightly. "Naruto?"

Meanwhile, Naruto leapt from rooftop to rooftop as he continued his search before he felt two chakra signatures heading towards him. He stopped on a roof and turned in the direction of the approaching signatures and soon saw Kiba land nearby, riding on Akamaru.

Kiba laughed. "Ha, Naruto, I was right, it is you! I knew we recognized your scent." Akamaru barked happily at seeing the blond.

"Hey, Kiba. Long time no see." Naruto said before turning his attention to the dog. "Man, Akamaru really grew over the last few years, didn't he?"

"Really? He's always been with me so I hadn't noticed." Kiba shrugged as he and his partner looked at each other.

Naruto gave him a slightly disbelieving stare. "How could you not notice? He used to ride around on your head, remember?"

"Huh? Ah, that's right." Kiba remembered, looking up as he recalled how just a few years ago the dog had been small enough to ride on his head. "Well, those days are long gone, huh Akamaru?" he turned to the dog with a slight chuckle and Akamaru barked in agreement. "So, where've you been all this time? I hear you've been back for a while."

"Oh, you know. I'm sure you heard about my exploits in the Hidden Sand. After that, I had a mission dealing with Orochimaru and for the last two weeks, I've been helping out Konohamaru's team."

"You mean Asuma's nephew?" Kiba asked and the blond nodded. "Oh, yeah. I heard something about that."

"Anyway, you or your team going on a mission or doing anything today?" Naruto asked.

"No, we're not doing anything special today, why?" Kiba raised his eyebrow.

"Well, you heard any rumors about me owning the Senju clan compound?" Naruto gave him a smirk.

"You mean they're actually true?" Kiba yelled in shock.

"Yep. I'm having a housewarming party tonight. Everyone from our graduating class will be there if you guys show up. We'll catch up on old times, there'll be food and drinks, my girlfriend can get to know any of you she hasn't already." Naruto said before his smirk widened. "And you can all see our new place and feel the jealousy. It's at 8:00, can you make it?"

"Not like I've got anything better to do tonight." Kiba said. "So, those aren't the only rumors that were true. You actually managed to find yourself a girlfriend, huh?"

"Yeah, she lives at the compound with me." Naruto replied.

"Want to invite Shino and Hinata yourself? I was just on my way to meet them. I can take care of it for you if you want." Kiba offered.

"Nah, it'll be nice seeing them after almost three years. Lead the way." Naruto said. Moments later, Kiba and Akamaru had resumed their journey, accompanied by Naruto a few yards behind them.

"So, how've they been?" Naruto asked.

Kiba turned his head to look at the blond. "Eh, Shino hasn't changed much. He's kind of got a chip on his shoulder from being left out of the mission to bring back Sasuke, but he doesn't usually bring it up."

"Seriously? I didn't figure him for the type to carry a grudge." Naruto said, surprised.

"Yeah, I didn't see it coming either." Kiba agreed. "Hinata… Well, she's been in a bad mood for a while. But aside from that, she's still the same as ever." he said.

"Really? I wonder what upset her." Naruto commented.

'_So, he still doesn't know…_' Kiba thought. '_Well, he's probably only thinking of his girl now… this could get ugly… though it might also end up causing one hell of a cat fight._' His excited musings were interrupted by Akamaru growling slightly, knowing his master well enough to realize where his thoughts had probably gone. "Well, who asked you?"

"Huh? What'd he say?" Naruto wondered.

"Nothing you need worry about." Kiba replied as they approached his team's training ground. Soon, they hopped off of a building to the ground where Shino awaited, leaning against a nearby tree with his hands in his pockets.

"Shino, good to see you!" Naruto said excitedly.

"Naruto, it's good to see you too. I knew you were coming with Kiba. How? My insects detected your chakra." Shino replied levelly.

"You really haven't changed at all, have you?" Naruto said with a smile, recalling his unique way of talking.

"First to arrive as always, huh Shino?" Kiba asked.

"I expected Kurenai to get here first. Don't tell me she's like Kakashi-sensei." Naruto raised an eyebrow, looking around for the team's sensei.

"Thankfully, no." Shino said. "Lately, she's been absent during our missions and most of our meetings. We do not know why yet."

"Huh, that's odd." Naruto noted.

"Tell me about it." Kiba agreed.

"Damn, and Fu and I were hoping she could give us a few pointers on genjustu." Naruto sighed.

Kiba turned to him, slightly shocked. "Huh? Since when have you been able to use genjustu?"

Naruto smirked. "I picked up a lot since I left."

"I'll bet. I hear you made it to special jonin." Kiba remarked. "You must have gotten a hell of a lot stronger for the Hokage to promote you like that. You know, I've always wanted a rematch since the chunin exams."

Naruto crossed his arms and nodded. "Yeah, that match was pretty much a fluke. I'd like to have a rematch sometime too."

While the boys continued talking, Hinata was making her way to their meeting place, walking calmly through the streets, her face expressionless. When she turned the corner down the path from her destination, her eyes widened and she quickly ducked back behind the wall. '_Naruto?_' She asked herself, a blush spreading across her face. '_What's he doing here?_' She activated her Byakugan and saw that the three had noticed her presence and were making their way to her position. '_He's alone… could he have come here to see me?_' She thought hopefully. That thought was quickly quashed by reality. She placed a hand to her chest to calm herself down. '_No… this is my chance to learn more about his relationship and endear myself to him… I can't fail._' Hinata took a deep breath, willing away whatever was left of her timidity before rounding the corner, stepping out just as the three reached her. She gave a smile as she saw the blond. "Naruto?"

"Hey, Hinata. How've you been?" Naruto greeted the blue haired girl.

"Fine. You've grown a lot stronger haven't you? Congratulations on your promotion. You deserve it." Hinata said.

"Thanks. Glad to see you got over your stuttering problem." Naruto replied with a smile. "Hey, you ok? You're blushing."

Hinata seemed slightly embarrassed at his concern. "I… I'm fine. It's nothing."

"You sure?" Hinata nodded. "That's good to hear." Naruto smiled. '_I wonder why she's blushing. Maybe she has a crush on someone._' The blond thought, before recalling how she used to act. _'But then again, she used to blush all the time._'

"It's good to see you again, I missed you." Hinata said, somewhat shyly.

"Well, it's great to be back, Hinata." Naruto replied, his smile growing into his trademark grin.

"I can see you've grown a lot, you've gotten quite handsome too, if I may say so." Hinata observed, her blush deepening.

Naruto looked surprised. "You think so?" Hinata nodded again and the blond smiled. "Well, thanks for the compliment."

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't help lowering her head in an embarrassed manner. "What about me? Have I become more attractive?"

"Yeah, you look great, Hinata." Naruto said.

"So, have you picked up any new hobbies in your travels?" Hinata asked, doing her best to hide her disappointment at his dispassionate compliment.

"Not really, though Fu and I enjoy tending our garden together." Hinata jerked slightly and her smile faltered briefly at the mention of the Nanabi Jinchuriki, but she said nothing.

"The girl from Taki correct? So you're living with her?" Shino inquired.

"That's right." Naruto nodded with a smile.

"That must be nice." Hinata said with a slightly depressed tone. Naruto raised a brow before she perked up. "How was your training trip with Master Jiraiya? Did anything else interesting happen?" she said, trying to change the subject.

Naruto's smile returned. "Well…"

As the two talked, Kiba leaned over to Shino. "Hey, what gives? We barely get a word out of her these days and she just opens up to him?" he quietly asked his stoic teammate.

"It most likely has to do with her feelings for him." Shino replied.

Naruto placed his hands behind his head. "It's been good catching up with you. Kiba said you were in a bad mood, nice to see he was exaggerating." Naruto said, closing his eyes and giving his trademark grin… and consequentially missing the Look Hinata briefly gave the Inuzuka. "Well, anyway, I came here to invite you and Shino to a housewarming party Fu and I are having at the Senju Clan compound. Kiba already said he'll be there and a lot of other old faces will stop by too."

"It sounds like a good idea. Why? It's been a while since we've all been together. I have nothing to do at that time, I will be there." Shino explained.

"I'll be there too." Hinata nodded. "So, if you don't mind me asking, how long have you and Fu been together? "She asked, listening intently.

"We've been together for about seven months now." Naruto replied, a warm smile growing over his face.

"Really? You must be happy, what's she like?" Hinata asked, trying to get as much information on the girl she viewed as a rival while keeping up the façade she was happy about it.

"Well, we've got a lot in common. She's as loyal to those she cares for as I am and we've lived similar lives. We had a lot of good times while traveling with Jiraiya and grew closer over the years. One day, she confessed that she felt more than friendship for me and I realized I cared for her the same way. Since then, we've never been happier."

"I see…" Hinata said, her smile slightly strained. "Well, I'm glad you're happy." which was true, she was only upset at the reasons behind his happiness.

"Hey, it's been nice catching up, but we're kind of wasting daylight here, besides, we can talk more at the party." Kiba interrupted.

"Yeah, I should probably get going anyway. See you tonight at 8!" Naruto waved as he walked away.

"Yeah, see you…" Hinata responded quietly as she watched his back before he vanished in a Body Flicker. She looked at the spot where he'd stood for a few moments before her expression fell and she turned back to her teammates.

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><p>That night, all the other members of the Konoha 11, their sensei's, Iruka, Yamato, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shizune and Sai all joined the pair of Jinchuriki at their new home, all seated around the living room. Teuchi and Ayame were in the kitchen, as Naruto thought that no party of his would be complete without Ichiraku Ramen. Of course, he would have invited them anyway. There were also various other dishes the two Jinchuriki and the ramen chefs had prepared and various drinks, mainly sake, on the tables.<p>

Kiba had remarked that Naruto hadn't been kidding about the jealousy, especially when he considered that the blond had this entire place to himself and his girl. They spent a lot of the party catching up on old times, talking about their days as genin and what he was teaching Konohamaru and his team and learning what they'd been up to since he left on his training trip and Fu was getting to know those she hadn't met yet. Sai occasionally joined in conversations, but he was mostly just watching them interact. Currently, Fu was talking with Team Asuma, Iruka, Shino, Shizune, Tenten, and Kurenai near the kitchen while most others sat near the TV. Jiraiya and Tsunade were off by themselves and Kakashi leaned against a wall, reading his favorite book, ignoring his self proclaimed eternal rival who was trying to challenge him.

Hinata made it a point to keep close to Naruto and learn as much about his relationship with Fu as possible while Neji made it a point to keep an eye on his cousin. She found the green haired girl to be much as Naruto described her. She found her to be confident and not afraid to speak her mind, like Naruto, though she was more willing to show respect than he was, with exceptions, the obvious being Jiraiya. She was also observant, so Hinata needed to be careful not to show any signs of her true feelings. She could tell the two Jinchuriki cared a lot for each other, though she had known that from what she saw two weeks ago.

She'd also asked about their relationship and how they met and became a couple. She found that Fu's feelings for Naruto began similarly to her own, feeling admiration towards him for his selflessness and strength of will. Difference being she hadn't been afraid to talk to him and though she'd been nervous and worried he wouldn't share her feelings, she had taken the plunge and told him how she felt. Once again, she cursed her timidity.

"You two were responsible for taking out that group of rogue ninja that were ambushing traders near the border to the Land of Grass?" Shizune asked Fu.

"Yeah, and we rescued their hostages." Fu replied.

"Wow, I never thought about it, but bounty hunting's a pretty good way to make money, not to mention experience." Tenten said.

"You can say that again, it's part of the reason Lady Tsunade was willing to promote us." Fu agreed.

"You two must have seen a lot in the last few years." Kurenai said. Fu nodded and started describing a few of the places she'd been to with Naruto and Jiraiya, ending with the town where she and Naruto had begun their relationship.

Shizune sighed, a slight blush on her face due to her alcohol consumption. "I hate to admit it, but I really envy you guys." she said dejectedly looking at the green haired girl and then at Kurenai. "You and Kurenai managed to find someone and I've been so busy helping Lady Tsunade and making sure she does all her work that I haven't had time to even look for one…"

"Oh, really?" Shizune jerked and turned fearfully, shivering with her eyes wide open and whited out, raising her hands in defense, to see her sensei standing behind her with her arms crossed and a tick mark on her forehead. "So, I'm so lazy, or is it incompetent, that I need you to make sure my work gets done?" inquired Tsunade.

"N- No, You, I- I mean…" everyone sweat dropped as the woman was pulled away by her irate sensei.

After a few moments Iruka coughed to get their attention. "Well, looks like you and Naruto already had some interesting adventures. So, are you enjoying your party?"

"Yes. Thanks for helping us set all this up, Ino. And thank you all for coming, we both really appreciate it." Fu said to her blond friend and then the whole group, each one giving her a grin.

"No problem. Besides, now you both owe me one. Don't think you can get out of it either." Ino said with her hands on her hips.

"Why am I afraid to ask what you have in mind?" Fu deadpanned.

"Oh, I don't have anything in mind right now. Don't worry, you two will be the first ones to know when I come up with something." Ino grinned evilly.

"Any of you have any interesting missions lately?" Fu decided to change the topic.

Everyone shook their heads. "Not anything out of the ordinary." Tenten said. "How about you?"

"Not since I fought the guy that stole the Raijin." Fu replied. "We went on a B-rank mission, but there was nothing noteworthy about it."

* * *

><p>"Damn, so you two took on a gang of thugs led by one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?" Kiba exclaimed, reclining on the daybed.<p>

"Yeah, and I've got his swords to prove it." Naruto said from his place on the couch.

"I'm not surprised, Naruto. I always believed in you." Hinata said.

"Thanks, Hinata." Naruto smiled at her, prompting a small blush.

"Don't thank me, I should be thanking you. I never did after you fought Neji for me." Hinata said.

"It was nothing, I couldn't stand by and watch someone get treated like that, especially a friend." replied Naruto.

"Hey, Naruto." Fu said as she walked over, holding a bowl of the blond's favorite meal and a bottle of sake. "Teuchi wanted me to give you this and I figured you'd be about out of sake by now." she said as she placed the bottle on the table, which was quickly grabbed by Kiba, and gave Naruto the ramen.

"Thanks. How's the party going for you, Fu?" Naruto asked as he began to dig in.

"Great. It's nice to meet all your old friends." Fu said as she took a seat next to the blond, who put his bowl down and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him.

Hinata's expression seemed to darken slightly at this. The blue haired girl would have liked nothing more than to attack Fu at that moment, but she knew better. Not only would that not help her win Naruto's heart, but surrounded by all these people who she had no doubt would fault her for it, it was bound to fail.

"Glad you're enjoying yourself." Naruto replied.

"So, Fu." Hinata said, getting their attention, trying to act as kind as possible to hide her true feelings. "How do like our village?"

Fu smiled, she could tell there was something off with the girl, having seen a lot of people hide hostility before, but chose not to show her suspicions. "It's a lot better than Taki. Like I told Ayame, it's more of a home than my old village ever was." her smile turned into a smirk and she turned to her boyfriend. "Besides, there's a certain blond here that I can't get enough of. That's definitely a huge plus for the village in my book."

Naruto smirked back at her. "Really? Nice to know that such an attractive girl feels that way. Said blond must be the luckiest guy in Konoha."

Fu giggled. "Oh, he is. But I'd say I'm the lucky one. He's no slouch either."

Hinata's façade nearly broke as she watched the two Jinchuriki flirt with each other. Neji saw her change in expression and tensed up, wondering what she may do next, only for their moment to be interrupted by Kakashi, though Neji knew what he said wouldn't help the situation.

"You know, if you keep flirting like that, you could wind up in trouble. Now's really not a good time for you to start a family." the copy ninja teased with his eye smile.

The two Jinchuriki blushed slightly and glared at the copy ninja. "You're almost as bad as the Pervy sage." Naruto said.

Kiba laughed. "Well, well, I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Naruto's glare turned to Kiba.

Hinata was unable to take what she just heard. The young heiress stood up and walked towards the shoji door to the garden.

"Where are you going, Lady Hinata?" Neji inquired.

Hinata stopped with her hand on the door and looked over her shoulder, giving him a kind smile. "I'm just going to get some fresh air. It's nothing to concern yourself with." Kakashi watched her leave out of the corner of his eye, her reaction having confirmed his suspicions about her. Being the observant jonin he was, he had noticed her feelings towards his blond student before he left on his training trip.

After Hinata left, the group near the kitchen decided to join them and Fu found this to be a good opportunity to tell them of their short adventure in the former Land of Necks.

"So you two stumbled upon a seemingly haunted castle that turned out to be the boss of a long lost summoning contract no one had seen in fifty years, and moreover, you actually signed the contract?" Tenten summed it up in disbelief.

"Man, even without going on any real missions, you guys had more excitement than any of us did." Kiba commented.

"What'd you expect? Naruto was involved. You know what kind of trouble he used to get himself into back at the academy. He's practically a magnet for troublesome situations" Shikamaru observed, mildly surprising the others as he spoke up.

Sakura looked thoughtful. "… Now that you mention it, since Naruto's been gone, I've had fairly normal missions. But as soon as he got back, I wind up on two consecutive missions dealing with S-rank ninja…"

Before Naruto could respond, he heard Gai call out, "LEE, NO!" Everyone turned to see Lee drink a cup of sake…

* * *

><p>"I don't believe this…" Fu said, her right eye twitching.<p>

The living room was a disaster area. The tatami mats had been torn up, the shoji doors on one wall had been ripped open, most of the furniture and pictures had been destroyed and the TV had been knocked onto the floor, its screen shattered. All this had happened in the span of five minutes at the hands of a drunken Lee.

Everyone stood outside the room, Naruto and Fu at the front, both staring into the destroyed room in disbelief. Lee was unconscious behind the crowd, being used as a cushion by a giant toad.

"I always thought Gai was exaggerating when he warned me about this…" Tsunade noted as she looked at the damage her former home had suffered.

"After all the work you put into this place, to have something like this happen…" Shizune said to the young couple.

"I'm so sorry, Lee gets like this whenever he has even the smallest amount of alcohol." Gai said apologetically, bowing dramatically before the home owners.

"Jeez… sorry guys, I know it took you weeks to fix this place up. Anything we can do to help?" Tenten asked.

Fu sighed before turning to them. "No problem, we have all the help we need in our shadow clones."

Naruto face palmed as he surveyed the damage. "Yeah… you'd be surprised how quickly you can fix damage like this with a few dozen people working on it. We'll have it cleaned up in no time at all."

"Well, I guess that's it for the party." Iruka said. "We should probably leave so they can at least get started."

"Yeah. We'll finish up the next batch of ramen and you can have it on the house." Teuchi said, trying to give them some bright side.

Tsunade sighed. "I would have brought this up earlier if I'd known something like this would happen, but I need the two of you, as well as Sakura, Sai, Shikamaru and Team Kurenai to report to my office first thing tomorrow."

All who were addressed, including the home owners despite what had just happened to their living room, immediately responded, "Yes, Lady Hokage." With a distinct 'Grandma Tsunade' from Naruto, much to the slug sannin's annoyance.

"Man, what a crappy way for a party to end." Kiba commented as he started to walk away.

"Sorry it turned out this way." Kakashi said.

"Don't be, it was fun while it lasted, right Fu?" Naruto grabbed Fu around the waist.

"Yeah, it was nice seeing you all." Fu agreed, resting her head on Naruto's shoulder, while the others began to depart and Lee was carried away by his sensei. Soon, all the goodbyes were said and only the Jinchuriki and their sensei were left.

Jiraiya approached his apprentices. "Well, this is certainly a downer, huh?"

"Don't worry about it. Like we said, with our clones, it won't take long to fix." Naruto reassured the perverted sannin.

"Well, I was planning on giving this to you at the end of the party anyway. At least now it should help the day end on a more positive note." Jiraiya said as he took out a scroll and handed it to Naruto.

"What's this, pervy sage?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya grinned despite the nickname. "Open it and see."

Naruto did as instructed to find it was a generic storage scroll. He placed it on the ground and channeled chakra into it. In a cloud of smoke, a box appeared. Curiously, Naruto opened the box and his eyes widened as he saw what it held. Inside there were several items, primarily books, pictures and other mementoes, but what got his attention was that they all belonged to his parents.

"After your parents passed on, all their belongings were taken from the Hokage Residence and left to me. I planned to give it to you as soon as I told you the truth, but I left it all at my house. I've been waiting for the right time to present them." The Toad sage explained as he and Fu watched Naruto carefully go through the box's contents. He smiled as he picked up a framed picture. In it, Minato was standing next to Kushina. He was wearing his usual attire, his flak jacket, standard Konoha uniform with his white coat and Kushina wore a high-collared, sleeveless loose-fitting dress with a green apron over it. They stood together, their arms wrapped around each other and Kushina's free hand rested on her stomach, which was swollen from pregnancy. Naruto wiped away a tear that threatened to roll down his face. Though she'd been described to him before, this was the first time he'd actually seen a picture of his mother. This would make a wonderful addition to the pictures on their dresser.

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and found Fu standing beside him with a warm smile on her face. He smiled back at her before turning to look at the toad sannin. "Thank you, Jiraiya-sensei."

* * *

><p>Onoki of Both Scales sat at his desk, taking a brief respite from his endless battle against the bane of all Kage - paperwork, to look at the information that had just been passed to him. The diminutive man had not been pleased to hear his old apprentice had been killed. It wasn't that he still cared about the mad artist; he wasn't as soft as the so-called second God of Shinobi.<p>

As if it wasn't bad enough that Deidara left the village to pursue his 'artistry', he'd proceeded to join the organization that had later taken Han, the Jinchuriki of the Gobi. Though the demon container was hated and feared in the village, not to mention borderline psychotic, he was still valued as a weapon and prized possession of the village. But that didn't change the fact that he took pride in his student's abilities. That he'd been killed, and by a ninja of Konoha no less, warranted an addition to their bingo book.

As he read all that his subordinate had been able to gather on the event that led to Deidara's death, he scoffed at Suna for requesting aid from another village in retrieving not just their Jinchuriki, but their Kage. That they'd allowed their Kage to be kidnapped from the heart of their village was pathetic; that they'd needed aid from another village to retrieve him was even worse.

He completed the report and moved on to the profile of the special jonin who killed Deidara alongside Kakashi the Copy Ninja. His eyes narrowed as he saw the teen's picture, briefly wondering if the man was in anyway related to the Fourth Hokage, before dismissing the thought.

"Hm… just a special jonin?" the Tsuchikage grumbled with narrowed eyes. "… Student of Kakashi the Copy Ninja and Jiraiya of the Sannin? Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi…" he froze as the gears turned in his head. He looked up at the picture of the teen again. "God damn it…" There was no doubt about it. His family name, his appearance, and his status as a Jinchuriki… he had to be Minato's son.

The old man went back to reading the blonde's profile. He seemed to be a hero type. Yes, Konoha's infamous Will of Fire burned brightly in this boy. His eyes narrowed as he continued to read all that had been gathered on the teen's career. His nearly three year training trip being the obvious reason behind him being a special jonin and not a full one. That gap meant he didn't have the record necessary to take the exam. He sighed as he reached the end of the dossier and pinched the bridge of his large nose. It would be impossible to keep this from leaking, and once word got out about this kid, he was sure at least a few of his shinobi would try to take matters into their own hands. He would have to keep a close eye on his subordinates.

As he began to sign the order to place the boy in the bingo book, there was a knock on the door. He beckoned them to enter and saw it was one of his ANBU. "Lord Tsuchikage"

"Yes, what is it?"

"We just found your son's squad…" the man began to break the news to his leader.

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><p><strong>Hope you liked it. As always, please read and review.<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Here's chapter 15.**

**I'd like to thank DarkSmokePuncher, who beta'd this chapter.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p>Naruto stood before the stove in the kitchen, it was his turn to prepare a meal and he had chosen to make a breakfast of rice, miso soup and dried fish. He had a fairly normal morning so far, waking up with Fu as usual, though there had been a slight difference when he saw the picture of his parents which had been added to the dresser, alongside the pictures of himself and Fu during their date and the picture of Fu's parents. As he set the plates and prepared drinks for himself and Fu, another brief stall in his usual routine came when he saw their living room out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and looked into the devastated room and sighed. His good mood briefly took a hit when he saw the damage from the previous night.<p>

Though they had shadow clones working on it for the rest of the night, it would take days of work before it was completely repaired. Just then, he heard footsteps approaching. He turned and saw Fu enter the room. She was mostly dressed for the day, though she wasn't wearing her coat.

"Finished already?" Fu asked.

"Just about. Breakfast will be ready in a moment." Naruto said as he put more food on the table after taking a moment to appreciate how much of her that choice in clothing revealed.

Fu nodded before looking into the ruined room and sighing as he had before. "I still can't believe all that happened because Lee drunk one cup of sake…"

"Me neither." Naruto replied. "Well, at least it won't take that long for us to fix."

After finishing their breakfast, the two Jinchuriki took care of the dishes, feeling they'd abused the Shadow Clone Jutsu enough. After all, they used it to train, fix and clean the compound and now repair the living room. Fu threw her coat on as they made their way out of their home.

The two headed out only to be stopped at the gates of their compound by an unexpected visitor.

Naruto raised an eyebrow as he stared at the "Lee?"

"Ah, finally. I have been waiting for almost an hour. Good morning Naruto, Fu." Lee said with a bow, quieter than normal.

Fu looked at him curiously. "Sorry to be rude, but we're expected in Tsunade's office so we're kind of in a hurry. What brings you here?"

Lee looked a bit embarrassed. "Well, you see, Tenten informed me of my unyouthful actions during your party last night. I wanted to know if it was as bad as it sounded. It isn't… is it?"

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><p>Lee's jaw dropped when he saw the damage to the living room and the destroyed furniture that had been cleared out. He couldn't remember any of what he had done, but he was somewhat aware of how he got when he consumed alcohol.<p>

"Did… did I really do all of this?" Lee asked as he looked at the damaged room with wide eyes. Before either of the couple could respond, he spun to face them and fell to his knees, bowing his head to the ground. "I cannot apologize enough! To have done this after you invited me in your new home and spent weeks working tirelessly on it. It is unforgivable! I swear to make up for these unyouthful actions!"

Naruto tried to calm down the boy many considered Gai's clone. "It's alright. Seriously. With our shadow clones, it won't take long to fix."

"Yeah, it shouldn't take more than a few days and it will be good as new. Besides, it's not like we can't afford new furniture." Fu added.

"That is not acceptable. I have committed a terrible wrong and I must make up for it." Lee insisted.

The conversation went back and forth for a while until the couple told him the Hokage wanted to see them and they had to leave. Lee reluctantly left, swearing that he would find some way to make up for what he had done.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Fu quickly Body Flickered to the administrations building and jumped to the window of Tsunade's office.<p>

"Good morning, Lady Tsunade/Hey, Grandma Tsunade." They greeted the Hokage as they entered the room through the window, Fu first.

Tsunade gave them both an annoyed look. "I hope you two don't make a habit of coming in like this. I already have enough ninja who don't use the door."

"Sorry, we were held up and didn't want to be late." Fu apologized.

Naruto looked around the office. "Looks like we're the first ones here anyway. So, what's this about, Grandma?"

"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" Tsunade growled.

Naruto gave a mischievous grin. "I don't know. I stopped counting a long time ago."

Fu couldn't fight the smirk that appeared on her face and Tsunade gave an almost inaudible sigh before speaking. "Alright. I have two B-rank missions for you, both of which could evolve into A-rank missions due to unknown circumstances and both of you will serve as team leaders. Since you're the ones in charge, you can explain it to your teammates. I'll send messengers to tell them to go straight to the gate."

Fu nodded, she and Naruto becoming serious. "What are our orders?"

Tsunade continued to look at the Nanabi Jinchuriki. "Recently, a village near the border of the Land of Fire fell under attack. Evidence suggests Amegakure was responsible. Fu, you'll be leading Team Kurenai to investigate. Kurenai herself is on leave. You're to search for and aid any survivors and look for any evidence of the perpetrators."

"Yes, Lady Hokage." Fu said.

Tsunade then turned to the son of the Fourth Hokage. "And you, Naruto, are being given a mission to aid the ninja monks of the Fire Temple to investigate and stop a group of grave robbers."

The blond Jinchuriki's expression hardened slightly. "The Fire Temple? If these guys were run of the mill grave robbers, than they could handle this themselves. What's different about them?"

Tsunade would have smirked were it not for the potential severity of the situation. "Good to see you're using your head these days. You're right, there are two things that set these grave robbers apart from the norm. First is the fact that there are no signs of forced entry from the outside, obviously through the use of some jutsu we're unfamiliar with."

"And the second thing?" the blond asked.

The slug sannin's eyes narrowed. "That's the most troubling part of the situation. There was nothing taken from the tombs. Neither the treasure nor the corpses were disturbed."

Fu's brows furrowed. "So they were looking for something specific." It wasn't a question. There was a short list of things they could be looking for, and nothing on it was good.

"That's right. There are four hidden tombs in the vicinity of the Fire Temple and we believe that they are the targets." Tsunade answered, as she pulled out two scrolls. "These scrolls have all the intel on the situation, the location of the village you'll be investigating." she gestured for Fu to take the scroll in her left hand. "And the location of the tomb the monks are expecting them to hit and where you'll be meeting them." she gestured for Naruto to take the other. "You're to leave immediately."

"Yes, Lady Hokage." both said, Naruto's lack of his usual term of endearment displaying how serious the situation could be.

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><p>The pair of Jinchuriki arrived at the front gate of Konoha, waiting for their teams to assemble. Both sat on a low roof, looking down at the street below.<p>

Naruto turned his head, sensing their teammates' signatures approaching. "Looks like we didn't have long to wait. They're almost here."

Fu followed his gaze. "Guess we'll be off soon. Oh, say hi to Sora and Chirku for me."

"Sure thing." Naruto replied with a smile, wondering how their friend was doing. The two of them were the only friends the monk in training had. Soon, they could see the two teams approaching.

"Hey, guys. Hope you haven't been waiting too long." Sakura called out.

"Not really, don't worry about it." Fu answered as Naruto jumped down to the street and she followed shortly thereafter.

"Well, well. I have to say I never thought I'd see the day you'd be leading a team, Naruto!" Kiba said as he approached.

Shino turned his head to look at Kiba. "One could say the same thing about you, Kiba. I believe the saying, 'the leaf calling the grass green', applies here."

Everyone chuckled (except Sai) as Kiba rounded on his fellow chunin. "Hey, who's side are you on?"

"Actually, this is the second mission I've led, although, the last one wasn't really anything special." Naruto informed the members of Team Kurenai and Shikamaru.

Shikamaru sighed. "Well, at least it's not as troublesome as leading the mission myself."

"What is our mission? We were told you would inform us." Sai took a step forward.

"I'll explain along the way." Naruto looked up at the sky. It was still early in the day, but they had a fair amount of distance to cover. "We should get going. We're expected at the meeting place tomorrow night and I'd rather not have to go full speed if we don't have to."

Fu nodded. "We should probably head out, too." she said to her team before turning to her boyfriend with a smile. He smiled back as he took a stepped towards her, his arms circling her waist as hers did the same to his.

"See you later, Fu" Naruto said as he pressed his forehead against hers.

Fu nodded before she and Naruto brought their lips together, sharing a brief, chaste kiss. Though it only lasted a few seconds, they both did their best to convey their feelings with the kiss and the look they shared after separating. The two barely managed to keep from blushing, this being the first time they'd ever done anything like that in public. Neither noticed the look that briefly appeared on Hinata's face before she turned away and began to walk towards the gate, frowning as she did her best to put what she just saw out of her mind.

They separated and turned to their teams. Sakura and Kiba were smirking at their show of affection, Sai remained neutral. Shino's expression was hidden, but behind his glasses, his eyes were focused on Hinata. "Alright, let's head out."

* * *

><p>Kakashi looked out the window of the Hokage's office, his gaze directed at the village's front gate. Tsunade had called him to her office for a mission of his own.<p>

Kakashi turned to his leader, "Lady Hokage, are you sure it was wise to send Hinata and Fu on the same team?" inquired the copy ninja.

The Hokage sat back in the chair and looked to her desk. "I'll admit, there's guaranteed to be tension there, but I have faith it won't interfere with the mission. Team Kurenai's skills are best suited for uncovering any available information on the attackers. Considering Fu's a student of Jiraiya and posses powers similar to the Aburame, she's a good fit and with her on their team, they should easily be able to handle the attackers if they're still in the area. That aside, this is a good test for her and the sooner she discovers her rival, the better. Though doubtful, they may even come to an understanding." Tsunade's eyes rose to look at Kakashi as he nodded. "How's Sakura doing? From what I hear you've been pretty hard on her."

"Well, aside from her lack of long range attacks, her lack of stamina is her largest weak point as of now. I have to be hard on her to fix that." he gave his trademark eye smile. "Besides, I doubt I'm any tougher on her than you were when you taught her your strength enhancing technique. I've taught her Earth Style: Underground Move and once she masters that and the Hidden Mole technique, I'll help her learn the Earth Style: Earth Spears technique."

Tsunade nodded in approval. "If she becomes skilled enough to use that jutsu and my strength enhancing technique together, as well as poisons, she'll truly become a force to be reckoned with."

Kakashi chuckled slightly. "Well, she's made surpassing you her goal." Kakashi became more serious. "That aside, she desperately wants to catch up to her team mates." after a pause, he spoke up again. "I worry about Naruto and Fu."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You don't think they can handle what's ahead of them?"

"I do, for the most part, but what Jiraiya told me about the requirements for full control has me concerned. Though it'll certainly be different due to their seals, the thought of someone facing a Biju single handed, let alone the most powerful and third strongest, isn't exactly a comforting one."

"True, but it's necessary and I have faith that they'll succeed when it comes to it."

"As do I, but that doesn't stop me from being concerned." Kakashi replied.

Tsunade nodded, truth be told, the thought of her grandson figure and the green haired girl facing the Biju wasn't exactly one that gave her much comfort either. "Well, it's a long way off. I'm sure they'll be ready when the time comes. Anyway, you know your mission, you're to help Jiraiya gather intel on the Akastuki. Are you prepared to go?"

"I'll get to the rendezvous point as fast as I can, Lady Tsunade." Kakashi said, maintaining his air of indifference while secretly being excited. He planned to ask the super-pervert to sign some of his books while he traveled with him.

* * *

><p>Near the borders of the Land of Fire, a man sat on a cliff overlooking a recently destroyed village. Smoke was still rising from the burned buildings and crops. The crying of children could be heard as the newly made orphans wept over their parents' bodies. The man wore a long dark gray cloak and straw hat which hid his appearance, aside from the lower half of his face. He had tanned skin and long white hair. As he looked down upon the village, he was joined by three individuals who approached him from behind. All of them wearing similar attire.<p>

"Look at the despair, tears and rage that lie within that valley." the apparent leader said as his eyes scanned the ruins. "The Land of Fire has no need for diplomats or neighbors." he said as he began to stand. "We don't need to waste words, trying to get along with others. The Fire Country must take its stance now." he said resolutely, his followers listening in silence. "In order for this nation to unite the world, it must be clear that it sits at the top. And for that to happen, we must be rid of the disgustingly corrupt Konoha. We must awaken the Land of Fire."

* * *

><p>Team Kurenai, led by Fu, were moving through the trees at top speed, looking like nothing but blurs to the untrained eye as they leapt from branch to branch. Fu was ahead of the group with Kiba bringing up the rear and Shino and Hinata in the center beside each other.<p>

"Ok, so we have a Hyuuga, an Inuzuka and an Aburame. Perfect for this mission." Fu noted.

"What is our mission?" Shino asked.

Fu turned her head to her fellow bug user. "We're investigating a village that was attacked recently. We're too look for survivors and find any clues as to who did it."

"Ha, that's child's play for our team." Kiba said confidently.

"My thoughts exactly." Fu replied. "But there is a chance the culprits will be in the area or may have left traps behind. Hinata, as we approach the village, use your Byakugan to search ahead."

Hinata glared at her rival in love. "Oh, I never would have thought of that. Thanks."

Fu frowned briefly at her before Shino, wanting to prevent a possible fight, spoke up. "It is a sound order and she is the team leader." Hinata's glare turned to Shino but she soon nodded.

After a moment, Fu continued. "Both myself and Shino can track others through our insects. With that, Hinata's eyes and Akamaru's nose, it should be easy to find what we're looking for and each other if we get separated."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Naruto's team was walking down the road, the village still in sight as they made their way to the rendezvous point. With the amount of time they had, they could afford to spend most of their journey going at a leisurely pace.<p>

"You said this is the second mission you led? You didn't mention the first one back at the party, how was it?" Shikamaru asked, looking to the blond Jinchuriki.

Naruto shrugged, "Eh, like I said, it was nothing special. Simple guard duty and nothing out of the ordinary happened for once." He then grimaced. "Our employer was a real jerk though."

"That's putting it mildly." Sakura grumbled.

"Ah, I see, that's why you didn't say anything about it." The Nara heir said. "Personally, I would have been thankful for an easy mission, no matter how troublesome the employer was. But I guess that doesn't work for you, huh?"

"Got that right." Naruto replied. "Anyway, that's just the first official mission, I told you about all those bounties Fu and I collected, right?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, but neither of you were in charge. You were acting as partners."

"So, what's our mission?" Sai inquired.

"We've been hired by the Fire Temple to help guard four hidden tombs under their protection. It's a B-rank mission that could become A-rank depending on the circumstances." Naruto answered.

"We're guarding tombs?" Sakura asked with a raised brow.

Naruto turned to her and nodded. "Yeah, there have been a series of robberies of tombs in the area and the Fire Temple is worried that these are next." His pink haired teammate seemed appalled that someone would rob a grave. If Shikamaru had similar feelings, he hid them well and Sai, as usual, retained his neutral expression.

"Are there any clues to the culprit's identity?" Shikamaru asked and Naruto shook his head. The lazy chunin sighed before saying, "Given what I know of the Fire Temple, this isn't going to be an average mission by any standards, is it?"

"Probably not." Naruto replied.

* * *

><p>After nightfall, Team Fu stopped at an inn for the night. At the moment, they were all sitting on cushions around a table, a small feast prepared for them, Fu's treat.<p>

They had asked around a town they stopped by about the village they were headed to, and what they found out was more than a little troubling. From what they heard out of hearsay, the attacks came without warning and the damage was worse than expected. It seemed the attack was made specifically to kill and cause damage.

Fu found a good friend in Shino, they shared an interest in insects and had talked at length about them during a brief break they had earlier. She thought Kiba was kind of like Naruto back when he still acted impulsively.

Then there was Hinata. It was obvious the girl had a grudge against her. The Hyuuga heiress often made sarcastic remarks, tried to act superior to her and would speak no more than necessary, ending a conversation as quickly as possible.

"Man, this stuff tastes so much better when you're not the one paying for it. Thanks, Fu." Kiba said while eating his food with nearly as much enthusiasm Konoha's two Jinchuriki had when they ate Ichiraku ramen.

"It's no problem." the green haired girl replied before taking a bite of her own meal. "So, what skills do you guys have? All I really know about your skills are general information on your clan's abilities."

Hinata's eyes narrowed at the Jinchuriki. "Why should we share our abilities with you?"

Fu returned the look Hinata gave her. "I'm the team leader and I need to have some idea of what my team is capable of. It's not like I'm asking you to tell me all your secret techniques."

"You're not telling us what you can do." Hinata countered.

"I intend to." Fu replied with a slight edge in her tone.

"Hinata." Kiba began and Hinata turned to the Inuzuka, maintaining her glare. "She's right. If she's going to lead the mission, she should have some idea of what we can do. Look, I'll go first." He then turned to Fu. "Like most of my clan, I have strong senses of hearing and smell. In fact, these days, my sense of smell's better than a ninja hound's."

Fu's brows shot up. "Better than a ninja hound? That's quite impressive."

Kiba gave an embarrassed smile and rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks. Anyway, aside from that I'm fast and my skills revolve around taijutsu, my clan techniques and combination attacks with Akamaru."

Shino then decided it was his turn. "My skills also revolve around my clan techniques. Similar to the abilities you have from your tenant, I can communicate with insects and I'm sure you already know of my clan's Kikaichu. I mainly rely on them in battle. I doubt there's anything my clan's capable of that you couldn't do as well, so I needn't say any more."

Fu tilted her head. "Do you have any skills in taijutsu or ninjutsu?"

Shino's brow furrowed slightly. "Why?"

"I've always thought overspecializing is a bad idea and my sensei agrees on that subject. Even before I met Naruto and Ero-sensei, I trained in taijutsu and ninjutsu as well as controlling my insects. If you rely mostly on your insects, then maybe you should branch out a little. It would make you more effective in battle." Fu explained.

Shino nodded, "I see. I have little skill in ninjutsu unrelated to my insects and my skills in taijutsu are neglectable. I see the logic in your words; however my clan does not possess particularly noteworthy chakra reserves. Our Kikaichu consume too much chakra for most ninjutsu or genjutsu to be viable options in combat. Although, I could always improve my taijutsu skills and getting close to an opponent would make it more difficult to avoid or counter my Kikaichu. I will consider you suggestion."

Fu smiled. "Glad to hear it. If you find taijutsu's not your thing, you can always try using weapons."

"You don't have any suggestions for me?" Kiba asked.

Fu turned to the Inuzuka, "Naruto told me about your Tunneling Fang technique and how fast it is. Between your speed, your senses and Akamaru, you should be able to adapt to most opponents." The green haired girl explained, "Have you tried incorporating an element into your Tunneling Fang technique?"

Kiba cupped his chin in thought. "No. Doing that is a high level technique of my clan. Only a few of us have ever been able to pull that off. Still, not like it could hurt to try."

"I'd suggest you learn a few ninjutsu in whatever element you have too." Fu added and the Inuzuka nodded before they turned to the Hyuuga heiress.

Hinata frowned and said nothing for a few moments before speaking, "I'm sure you know of the Hyuuga clan's abilities. My Byakugan has a range with a 1 kilometer radius and I can see over 5 kilometers if I focus in one direction. I rely on my clan's Gentle Fist fighting style."

Fu nodded, pausing a moment before describing her own abilities. "As Shino said, my tenant allows me to communicate with and control insects, though my abilities are more powerful than the Aburame's. I'm skilled in all areas of ninja combat with my focus being kenjutsu and ninjutsu. I'm particularly skilled with lightning jutsu." As expected of ninja, they'd given general assessments, all vague, not revealing specifics about their skills and keeping a lot hidden.

Shino spoke a moment later, "May I ask a question about your tenant's powers?"

Fu turned to her fellow bug user, her head tilted and curiosity visible in her eyes. "Sure, what is it?"

"How does its power affect the insects inside you? I'm listening intently." Shino stated.

Fu shrugged; unfazed by his comment as she knew it was just his way of speaking. She saw no problem in answering his question. "Well, her chakra nurtures the insects so they don't feed off as much of my chakra as they would yours and it allows me to contain more than one species of insect. It also strengthens them, letting them consume chakra faster and enhancing their senses while I'm channeling it. I can also detect and command insects that have fed off of her chakra over several kilometers and it increases their growth rate." the Nanabi's chakra had a few other benefits and allowed her to use a few unique insect themed jutsu when in her tailed forms, but she wasn't going to give out that information. Shino nodded, satisfied with the information. He was curious of what other insects Fu might have, but decided not to ask for now. After a few moments, Fu spoke up. "Hey, what was Naruto like during the academy and his genin days?"

"Don't you know already? I'd think that'd be the first thing he told his girlfriend." Hinata said.

The ex-taki kunoichi frowned slightly at the young heiress. "Of course he already told me. It's one of the first things he shared with me. I'm just curious about your perspectives."

"Back at the academy, he was always trying to be the center of attention. He probably already told you this, but he was always pulling pranks and getting into trouble, sometimes taking some of us with him. I still can't believe that he managed to paint the entire Hokage Monument without anyone noticing." Kiba said, chuckling at the end. "Then there was the time he used his Sexy Jutsu to knock out Iruka-sensei. Man that was priceless."

Fu gave a short laugh. "I don't like that technique, but I have to admit it's funny to see the reactions in evokes and it is useful against perverts."

Kiba outright laughed now. "I heard he even managed to get the Third Hokage with that technique. That's why Konohamaru started to look up to him." Fu joined him in laughing as Hinata smiled as she remembered her crush when he was in the academy and thought back to the day her feelings for him began to develop.

Shino spoke in his usual neutral tone when they calmed down, "Even back then, he had a talent for coming up with unpredictable plans and tactics. There was one time he nearly defeated Sasuke, who was at the top of our class in combat abilities, because of his unique strategies."

"Yeah, even more impressive given that he was the dead last, and back then he really deserved the title. The guy had the worst grades in class and almost never listened. His taijutsu was decent, but aside from that, he used to be the worst in almost every subject. Just about everyone wrote him off as a failure." Kiba said.

"And yet now he's the strongest of us." Hinata interjected.

"You don't have to tell me that, I lost to him in the prelims remember?" Kiba shook his head with a grin. "I still can't believe that. I think that was when most of us stopped seeing him as a joke and started to believe he would actually make something of himself. After that, I knew he'd beat Neji during the finals and I know Ino and Sakura believed in him too. I actually feel kind of bad about thinking so little of him before. Even back in the academy, he was always someone you could depend on. Maybe not in a fight or for help in studies, but still. And he definitely knew how to have a good time. I remember once he took me on one of his pranks. We dyed Iruka-sensei's chunin vest neon orange. You should have seen his face when he came to class." Kiba said, laughing as Hinata and Fu giggled and Shino remained as stoic as ever.

"I was unaware you were involved in that." Shino said.

"That's because Naruto took the blame for it. I didn't even have to ask." Kiba replied, shaking his head again with a slight chuckle. "My mom would have killed me if she found out I had a hand in that. He's always been a good friend. Glad that's one thing that didn't change about him over the years."

Shino nodded. "He was always willing to help someone when they needed it, even if he didn't really know them or they didn't want his help. During the Chunin Exam prelims, Neji beat Hinata and injured her severely. He even tried to kill her. Why would he do this? Because of the injustice done to the branch family and to him personally by the main branch, even if she had nothing to do with it. Naruto swore to defeat him for her, and even inspired him to change his views and fight for a better future."

Hinata then spoke, smiling as she recalled that day and the change in her cousin. "I'll always be grateful to him for that and for helping Neji find his way when we couldn't."

"Yeah, he told me about that." Fu said with a smile. "I worked with Neji a while ago, it's hard to believe what he used to be like. Same for Gaara. He seems to have that effect on everyone who gets to know him."

Hinata saw an opportunity to make a jab at Fu, "I just wished I had been able to see it, but my injuries from my match with Neji worsened and I needed medical attention. He was actually very worried about that match. For the first time, he wasn't sure he could actually win and he wandered into one of the training grounds where I happened to be. I cheered him up by telling him I always admired how no matter how often he failed at things, to me he looked like a proud failure, because he would always pick himself up and try again until he would succeed." the Hyuuga smirked inwardly at Fu's slightly surprised expression.

Kiba smirked at Hinata. "But that wasn't the first time he helped you, was it? Come on, I'm sure you've got some story we don't know about."

Hinata looked to the table briefly before looking up with a small smile, her eyes lighting up slightly as she recalled the day her feelings for the blond started to develop. "Well, early on when we were in the academy, I was picked on because of my clan. A bunch of older kids assumed I was arrogant because of my family's attitude and were mean to me. Naruto stood up for me even though he had never met me before. I had never had anyone do that for me before."

Fu felt slight jealousy when she heard that. The look in the Hyuuga's eyes reminded her of her own when she thought of the day she met Naruto. She had suspected that the young heiress may have feelings for the blond Jinchuriki and this just about proved her suspicions. It didn't help that the white eyed girl's attitude towards her was getting on her nerves and the fact that Naruto had never shown her his vulnerable side. Though she realized that this was because, since he met her, he hadn't really felt that vulnerable about anything, the closest thing being the thought that he may not be able to save Sasuke. Still… "That's just what I'd expect from Naruto, helping anyone who really needs it." Hinata turned to Fu, the two glaring slightly at each other as the Hyuuga girl caught the underlining jab that she wasn't strong enough to stand up for herself.

Shino decided to break the tension, "What did Naruto tell you about us?"

Fu turned to the Aburame, "Well, he said he didn't know much about you because you rarely talked and usually kept to yourself. He told me about your abilities and your unique style of speech. I was interested that your clan used insects like I do." she then turned to Hinata. "He said you were kind and determined, but you were also really quiet and he didn't get why you couldn't look him in the eyes. He thought you were a good person, but also kind of weird, and he didn't know much more about you than he did about Shino." Hinata flinched slightly.

"What about me?" Kiba asked.

"Well, he said you were really overconfident, and even louder than he was. You also always thought you were in charge." Kiba frowned slightly before a teasing smile grew on Fu's face. "He also said that you were one of the most loyal people he knew and a good friend. He counts you as one of his first real friends along with his teammates."

"Really? Well, how about that?" Kiba said before cupping his chin in thought. "I'll have to remember to pay him back for some of that though." he paused for a moment. "Hey, how'd you guys afford that compound? You told us you got the money from bounty hunting, but that can't be all can it?"

Fu chuckled. "Actually it can. Because of the secrets that can leak out if a missing-nin is captured, dead or alive, and the crimes they commit, there isn't a missing-nin in the bingo book worth less than half a million Ryo. You can get rich quickly if you're good enough to take down A rank ninja, most of their bounties don't go below 15 million."

Kiba's eyes widened. "Damn, I gotta remember that."

"Though, Naruto also made an insane amount of money gambling." Fu added as an afterthought.

Kiba looked quizzically at Fu. "Really, I didn't think he was the gambling type."

Fu smirked. "He wasn't, until he realized that his luck was basically the polar opposite of Lady Tsunade's."

"You're kidding!"

"He once made 30 million Ryo in one day."

Fu enjoyed seeing the looks of shock on their faces. She could see that Shino's eyebrows shot up underneath his hood- this was the largest reaction one could get from him. "Whoa…" was all the Inuzuka could say. "And you spent the last few months of your training trip collecting bounties for experience? No wonder he's improved so much from the dead last who beat me with a fart." he said.

"What did you say?" Fu asked with a dumbfounded expression. Kiba smirked as he realized this was the perfect opportunity for revenge for those loud and overconfident comments Naruto had told her. He then informed the green haired girl of exactly how Naruto defeated him during the prelims and she grinned evilly. "Oh, I'm going to have so much fun with that knowledge… He always tried to avoid the specifics of that match while we were traveling with Ero-sensei."

"Speaking of your time with Jiraiya, I've been meaning to ask you something about your sensei." the Inuzuka said, his smirk becoming slightly perverted.

"What?" Fu replied.

"Where does he get the inspiration for his books?" Kiba asked, his smirk widening.

"… What makes you think I'd know that?" Fu deadpanned.

"Oh, come on. You were traveling with him for two years, you must have seen where he got the inspiration for some of his earlier books. Or were you and Naruto the inspiration for his… more recent…" He trailed off when he saw his teammates looking at him disapprovingly. Shino was shaking his head. "What is it?"

"Kiba…" Hinata said with a slight edge in her tone. Though it was true she had peeked on Naruto in the past, that wasn't because she was perverted. It hadn't been on purpose. Observing him from afar with her Byakugan at various times, she was bound to accidentally peek on him a few times. She was actually quite disapproving of perverts.

"What, is it about the books?" Kiba asked, taking a green colored book of his jacket. The looks he received showed that the rest of their team was disapproving. "What? There's a lot of good story here." Though he did buy the books for the reasons they suspected, he did like the actual story.

Shino looked at his teammate. "Kiba, do you honestly expect us to believe you read those books for anything other than-"

Desperate to save face, Kiba cut him off, "Tha- that's not it at all. There's good story there and I'm sure you would like the romance." He said, turning to Hinata. "Like the time the main heroine kissed the hero and confessed her feelings before watching the sunset with him, or when they spent an entire day together by a river, just enjoying each other's company or-"

"What?" Fu interrupted. They all turned to her to see her with an unreadable expression which soon morphed into a sweet smile that promised pain. "Kiba…" she began, a dark aura surrounding her.

"Y-yeah?" Kiba asked, slightly intimidated, inching away from her slowly.

"All that happened… in that book?" The female Jinchuriki asked in a sickly sweet tone. He nodded. "Can I see it?" Kiba reached over the table and handed her the book. The orange eyed girl practically tore it open and scanned the pages, her face displaying extreme annoyance as she quickly skimmed over the romance scenes, finding them eerily similar to her own romantic interactions with a certain blond.

Her eyes widened and a deep blush spread across her face as she read one of the later scenes. Like those before it, it was based on her interactions with Naruto, but Jiraiya had taken artistic license with it and things took a more explicit turn than they actually had. "Th… that…" Fu sputtered in shock before her expression became one of intense anger. "That… damn pervert!" she yelled with fire burning in her orange eyes. "I'm going to kill Ero-sensei next time I see him! Dirty old man should know better than to pull crap like this! When I get my hands on him…"

Kiba gave a perverted grin. "So you two _were_ the inspiration for his most recent book. Tell me, were you two the source of any of the more… adult… scenes too?" the Inuzuka inquired, breaking Fu from her righteous fury fueled rant.

The green haired girl's eyes widened again as her blush grew to cover most of her face and she proceeded to deny the laughing Inuzuka's accusations, while Shino looked on in mild amusement. Inside Fu, the Nanabi was enjoying her host's embarrassment.

Hinata frowned, barely listening to them as she contemplated the fact that their romantic interactions had been the inspiration behind a best seller, dimming the hope she had that she may be able to win Naruto's heart. The young heiress also felt a bit betrayed by her team. They knew how she felt about Naruto, and yet they were so willing to accept his girlfriend. It also irritated her how easily the female Jinchuriki was able to befriend them. Though it may have been thanks in part to her relationship with Naruto that they opened up to her, she had been able to talk with her teammates and the rest of the Konoha 11 so easily, whereas Hinata had to struggle against her shyness. The blue haired girl found herself getting increasingly envious of Fu. The tanned girl had obtained everything she had ever wanted (with the exception of freeing the branch family) with relative ease. With her frown deepening, she also made a mental note to buy that book. Even if she disapproved of the smut, it would give her the opportunity to get a better idea of how the two Jinchuriki interacted with each other in private.

* * *

><p>Shino and Kiba were on their way back to their rooms. After finishing their dinner, the group had talked for a while longer, mostly about their mission and briefly about their clans, before they separated.<p>

"Boy, I haven't eaten like that in a long time." Kiba said with a grin. He'd also made a point to gather all the left over meat for Akamaru, who wasn't allowed in the hotel. Shino simply nodded. "… Hey, Shino. You think we should warn Fu about Hinata? She's really been giving Fu a hard time and if things keep up like this, a fight might break out between them. I'm all for seeing a cat fight, but they could kill each other." They'd never seen Fu in a fight and all they knew about her abilities was that she'd been promoted to special jonin due to her skill and the general information she'd given them. They knew she was likely stronger than the Hyuuga heiress, but didn't know exactly how much.

Shino turned to his teammate. "She likely already suspects, but it may be a good idea to speak up. She should know we're not going to side with Hinata simply because she's our friend. Especially when she isn't in the right."

Kiba nodded before walking to and leaning against the wall, Shino stopped and turned to face him. They both wanted to help Hinata through this, but she made it clear she didn't want any help if it involved trying to get over it. That didn't stop them from trying, of course. They had made attempts to break the tension between the two girls whenever possible and talk to Hinata, as did most who knew of the situation, but none of them were getting through to her. The pale eyed girl was too caught up in her emotions to really listen and wasn't thinking entirely rationally. "How long do you think she's going to be like this?" he asked, remembering what she was like just two weeks ago.

"It depends on how long it takes to come to terms with the fact that she missed her opportunity. Even so, I doubt she'll really be the same. I doubt she'll fully return to the shy, timid girl she was before."

Kiba closed his eyes for a moment. "This whole thing really sucks. Fu hasn't done anything to Hinata and has been nothing but nice towards everyone, and from what I've been told about her time back in her village, she really doesn't deserve this. She couldn't have had an easier childhood than Naruto."

Shino interjected, "Actually, according to Ino her life in Taki was significantly worse. Why you ask? She didn't have the protection of the village leadership. Everyone knew of her tenant, so she did not have the opportunity to make any kind of friends among her generation. No one cared for her until she met Naruto."

Kiba winced at that. "That just proves my point." He said, pausing before continuing. "It's true, Hinata didn't exactly have an easy life either. I still can't believe the way her own family treated her when she was younger." To his clan, loyalty was very important, to treat a member of your own family as the Hyuuga had treated her due to her perceived weakness was anathema to them. "She near idolized Naruto because he never gave up, no matter how the village treated him, and things started to look up for her after Naruto beat Neji. But she never managed to work up the courage to tell him how she felt. She let the chance slip by."

Shino nodded, "And now she refuses to let go. Both Naruto and Fu are extremely loyal, more so even than most of your clan, due to what they've been through. From what I've observed, it looks like they're quite in love with each other. It is unlikely they will separate."

Kiba nodded, it was hard to watch, knowing Hinata was in so much pain, even more so to watch her finally gain the confidence and strength to pursue her love interest and do so, even though it was already too late. After a few moments, he spoke again. "So, what do you think of Fu?"

"She's an interesting girl. Though it was to be expected given her tenant and abilities, it is somewhat refreshing to meet someone with an interest in insects outside of my clan."

"I'll bet. I can see why Naruto likes her, they've got a lot in common."

"She seems to enjoy teasing others and she likes pranks like him, that makes me fearful of what their children may be like should they have any."

Kiba laughed as he imagined their kids following in their father's footsteps in pranking. "Tell me about it. I can see them raising a group of hell raisers. Anyway, I have to bring this to Akamaru." he said, holding up the scroll he had placed the leftovers in. He never liked how places like this forbade him from bringing his partner. "Talk to ya later."

* * *

><p>Sakura, Sai and Shikamaru sat around the campfire. The teens had been traveling at a fairly leisurely pace and had set up camp for the night.<p>

"We're making good time. At this rate, we may be able to make it without having to rush." Shikamaru commented.

Naruto's voice called out from the trees. "Just your style, huh?" they turned their heads and saw him step into the light.

"Yeah, it's troublesome having to rush. Well, more so than going on a mission in the first place, anyway." The lazy chunin replied.

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "Some things never change."

"I take it your shadow clones are taking watch?" Sai inquired and Naruto nodded as he joined them around the fire.

"I remember you mentioning you've been to the Fire Temple before." Shikamaru said.

"Yeah, me, Fu and the Pervy sage stayed there for a while near the end of our training trip. The monks train intensely everyday. It's nice, but the place is a bit uptight if you ask me." Naruto said before turning to Sakura with a grin. "So, Sakura. How's training with Kakashi-sensei going for you?"

Sakura sighed. "Pretty much the opposite of what he was like when we were genin. He's being a real slave driver, trying to build up my stamina, not to mention my strength and speed. I guess I can't complain since it's working."

"Has he taught you anything else?" Naruto asked.

"He's been helping me with earth jutsu and he taught me the Underground Move Technique. He wants me to learn two other jutsu for moving underground before he helps me with the scroll I borrowed from you. I've also poisoned most of my weapons."

Naruto nodded, "And Shikamaru. What have you learned over the years. I'd guess you've improved all around and gotten better with strategy?"

"That's about it. I've learned to make my shadow tangible and sew my opponent to the ground. That's about it as far as new skills go, everything else is just a variation of what I had before." Shikamaru replied lazily.

"Good, I'll expect you to point out anything wrong with my strategies." Shikamaru nodded. "Sai, unless you've also picked up something new over the last two weeks, I've already got a good idea of your abilities."

"No, my skills haven't improved significantly since our mission to the Land of Grass." Sai replied and Naruto nodded.

Sakura spoke up a few moments later. "Naruto, I've been meaning to ask, you said our mission is to prevent a group of grave robbers from defiling tombs, but why would anyone do that? It's so wrong…" she said with a frown, in the back of her mind thinking of how much things had changed that she would be asking Naruto, who was once easily the dumbest person she knew, such a question.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "You think someone like Orochimaru or the Akatsuki would care how wrong it is?"

Sakura grimaced slightly, "Good point. But what's there to gain? What are the after?"

Naruto became serious, surprising Shikamaru a little, "Well, usually, most grave robbers are just thieves targeting the riches of the dead, but that's probably not what these guys have in mind. Sakura, do you remember what Haku was masquerading as back when we went to Wave?"

Sakura looked curious before looking up to the sky, placing her finger to her chin as she thought back to those days when they were fresh out of the academy. "Well, Haku was pretending to be a hunter-nin, right? A division of ANBU meant to dispose of missing-nin from their village and the corpses thereof to prevent their secrets from falling into enemy hands, right?"

"That's right. When a ninja of great power and renown, like the Hokage for example, dies, they're interred in hidden tombs protected by traps and barriers." Naruto said.

"So, you believe that these thieves are targeting the bodies of renowned ninja from our land?" Sai asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Most likely." Naruto replied.

Shikamaru sighed, "I suspected as much. Troublesome. I had hoped for a simple B-rank mission-" he turned to Naruto. "- but nothing's ever that easy with you involved, is it?"

Naruto chuckled, "Much as I hate to say it, you're probably right." he said with a grin before becoming serious again. "There are four hidden tombs around the Fire Temple and we believe they're the targets. We're going to meet the monks outside the tomb closest to their last raid."

Sakura frowned, "So, by stealing the corpses, they can duplicate the secrets and special abilities of the ninja, like when Orochimaru copied the First Hokage's Wood Style into Yamato or when Sasori turned the Third Kazekage into a human puppet?"

"Yeah… and in the worst case, the enemy could plan to revive them as Orochimaru did during the invasion." Naruto said with narrowed eyes.

"Ordinary grave robbers couldn't get past a hidden tombs defenses. If the hidden tombs are the targets, then we have to assume these aren't ordinary ninja." Shikamaru said.

"Considering there's no evidence of forced entry from the outside on any of the tombs they already hit, that's a pretty safe bet." Naruto stated.

* * *

><p>Fu had just about prepared for bed. She was wearing a kimono provided by the inn and just as she was about to turn out the light, she heard someone approaching.<p>

"May I enter?" Shino's voice called out.

"Shino? Sure." She said, watching as he slid open the shoji door. "What brings you here at this hour?"

"There was something I felt it necessary to discuss with you. I'm sure you've noticed Hinata's behavior." Shino responded.

"Yeah, it's obvious she has something against me."

The Aburame nodded. "Yes. I felt you should be aware of the reason behind her animosity. Although, I'd guess you would have realized it by now, she has feelings for Naruto. She has as long as I've known her. She did not take it well when she discovered your relationship and has since been acting cold and uncaring outside of his presence."

Fu sighed, "I figured as much. I mean, the way she acted around him and out here with her remarks makes it pretty obvious."

"What do you plan to do?"

"It's annoying, but I'm not going to jeopardize the mission. I'll try not to let this escalate any further, for now."

"Do you plan to tell Naruto?"

Fu would have smiled were it not for the topic of the conversation. The fact that he came to her with this showed he saw her as a comrade. "No. I'll handle it myself."

Shino nodded, walking back to the door. "Very well. I hope you will come to an understanding. Why? Because comrades shouldn't antagonize each other."

* * *

><p>The sun shined down on the Land of Fire, creating the image of a peaceful day. That image was shattered as Team Fu stood on a cliff, looking down on a destroyed village. The fires had been put out and the dead buried, but even from the distance the four ninja could see the damage the village had suffered.<p>

"Hinata." Fu said.

"Already on it." Hinata said as she activated her Byakugan, she remained immobile while scanning the village. "… There are no signs of human life within a five kilometer radius. There are no traces of the attackers and the village's crops and storehouses have been destroyed." Hinata assessed. "The dead have been buried, so it's likely there were survivors, but they fled."

Fu looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "Do you see any tr…"

"No, it looks like the attackers fled as soon as they had completed their objective." Hinata cut her, a hint of irritation in her tone.

Fu frowned, but nodded, "Alright, let's go." Fu instructed before she and her teammates down the stone cliff and through the trees. Before long they reached the village. All of them scanned the ruins up close, their brows furrowed as they took in all the senseless destruction and saw the unmarked graves of the dead.

"Man, this was a massacre. The entire village reeks of blood." Kiba commented with a grimace and Akamaru growled.

"Spread out." Fu ordered moments later and the three chunin jumped across the roof tops, heading to the corners of the village. She knelt down and placed her hand on the ground. This was part of the reason clans like the Aburame made great spies, few if any ever paid attention to insects, so those who could communicate with them could easily gather information. From the bugs, she learned the attackers were a four man team. Three carried out the attack while the fourth, the apparent leader, watched. Her eyes narrowed.

"Guys!" Kiba called out. Fu's head snapped up and she Body Flickered to his location, soon joined by their teammates. What she saw made her fists tremble with anger as Kiba's was. Written in blood on the wall of a collapsed home were four straight lines, the symbol of Amegakure. "Guess the Hokage's suspicions were right, it is Ame." Kiba observed.

"Not necessarily." Fu brought a hand to her chin.

"What do you mean?" Kiba replied.

"We found no other evidence of who the culprits are. Someone could be trying to provoke us into attacking Ame in hopes of starting a war."

"Like we would attack before we were sure who did it." Kiba snorted.

"Though the Hokage may not, can you say the same of the Daimyo?" Shino inquired. It was true, though he was a good and reasonable leader, the Daimyo would be far easier to provoke and if he did decide there was enough evidence, Konoha would be forced to go along with his orders.

"Let's make a sweep of the entire village. I doubt we'll find anything else, but we need to make sure there's no more evidence." Fu ordered.

* * *

><p>Just after nightfall, Naruto and his team traveled through the trees, nearing their destination. As they jumped from branch to branch, Naruto used his sensory jutsu to scout ahead, homing in on a large group of chakra signatures.<p>

Soon, they jumped out of the trees, landing before a large group of monks who turned to face them. Chiriku walked forward to greet their comrades from Konoha.

"Naruto. It's good to see you." the former guardian ninja said, his gaze then turned to the remaining members of the team. "And I am pleased to meet you, brethren from Konoha. I am Chiriku of the Fire Temple."

"Nice to see you too, Chiriku, though I wish it weren't under these circumstances." Naruto said.

"I'm Sakura." Sakura introduced herself with a smile.

"My name is Sai." he said with his usual fake smile.

"I'm Shikamaru." he said.

"As none of them introduced themselves as such, I assume you are the team leader then?" Chiriku asked Naruto.

The blond gave a wide grin, "Yep, I got promoted to special jonin since we last met."

"I see, congratulations."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Thanks. So, what's the situation? I take it you've already sent someone ahead to the tomb?"

"Yes, someone you're familiar with." Chiriku replied with a small smile which soon fell. "In any case, now that we've rendezvoused with each other, we should investigate the tomb. Follow me." the Konoha ninja nodded and soon, they and the monks were off, traveling at full speed through the trees to reach their destination as quickly as possible.

"If I may ask, whose tomb are we protecting?" Sai inquired.

"The tomb we are heading to belongs to Kitane." Chiriku replied.

"Kitane? Wasn't he another of the Twelve Guardian Ninja?" Naruto asked.

"Yes." the former guardian ninja said solemnly, obviously not liking the thought of his comrade's eternal sleep being disturbed. "The full situation will be explained later. Let us make haste to the tomb and hope we are not too late."

Before long, the forest opened up into a large clearing. The glade's only significant feature being the entrance to the underground tomb which lay in its center. Standing by the tomb with his arms crossed was the young monk in training, Sora. He had blue shoulder-length hair cut in an asymmetrical style and brown eyes. He wore a monk uniform with a long right sleeve, covering his right bandaged arm, along with a pair of sandals.

"Lord Chiriku." Sora called out as they approached, running towards them, stopping with wide eyes when he saw the leaf ninja. "Naruto?"

"Hey, Sora. Long time no see." Naruto greeted. "We can catch up later, what's the situation here?"

Sora nodded, his face becoming grim. "We were too late. The coffin was already gone by the time I arrived. The barrier was broken and there are no signs of forced entry."

Chiriku's brows furrowed. "Then it is as we feared." he said before turning to the leaf ninja. "Let's return to the temple for now. I will explain the situation in greater detail there." he then turned to his subordinates. "Arrange guards for the other hidden tombs and tighten security around the Fire Temple."

* * *

><p>While most of the monks rushed ahead to deliver their leader's orders, the rest stayed at the tomb, leaving Team Naruto, Sora and Chiriku to make their way to the temple alone. At normal speed, it was thirty minutes away from the tomb. Chiriku walked ahead of the group followed by Naruto and Sora with the remaining leaf ninja trailing behind them.<p>

"Sounds like it's been an interesting couple of weeks for you." Sora commented after Naruto finished summarizing everything between his departure from the temple and now. "Have you taken your wind manipulation any further?"

Naruto grinned, "Of course, I've got a few new things to show you. What about you? Have you mastered chakra flow yet?"

Sora nodded with a grin of his own, "You're not the only one with a few new tricks."

"How have things been at the Fire Temple? Has anything changed?" Naruto asked the monk in training.

Sora seemed slightly hesitant to answer that. Finally, he replied, "Not really… everything's pretty much the same as always."

Naruto's eyes hardened slightly, knowing what he meant- the other monks' views on him hadn't changed.

After a moment of silence, Sakura spoke up, "So, you're Naruto's friend from the Fire Temple?"

Sora turned to her and didn't respond for a moment. Finally, he said, "Yes, I met Naruto and Fu while they stayed at the temple just before their return to Konoha."

"Naruto told us a little about the temple, but he doesn't live there. Do you mind if I ask what life in the temple's like?" Sakura asked.

"No, that's fine. We dedicate ourselves to our training and our duty. We train alone for most of the day we're not performing our duties and spar after practicing taijutsu katas, once in the morning and again in the evening." Sora said before a look of recognition crossed his face. "Ah, that's right, you're Sakura. Naruto told me a little about you."

"He did?" Sakura raised her brows.

"Yes, and now that I think about it, I remember him mentioning Shikamaru too. He talked a lot about his friends and his village." Sora added.

Sakura smiled, "Can you tell us a little about yourself?"

"Well…" Sora began, seeming to consider it before turning away. "I don't feel like telling you."

Sakura looked slightly surprised. "Is something wrong?"

"No." Sora replied before turning away. "Look, I just don't feel like talking anymore, alright?"

Sakura looked slightly surprised. "Alright."

Sora turned and walked ahead of them when he saw they were approaching the temple steps. "About time." he commented.

"Wow, what's his problem." Sakura murmured before she turned her head back to Naruto. "How are you friends with that guy?"

"You shouldn't just write the guy off." Shikamaru said and Sakura turned to look at him. "He was talking with Naruto just fine, but he seemed to have trouble when you joined in."

Naruto nodded as they began the journey up the many steps leading to the temple. "Yeah, he has trouble opening up to others. He's a decent guy, once he opens up to you, but until then…" he trailed off.

"What made him so mistrustful of others?" Sai inquired.

Naruto's eyes hardened once again. "… The other monks." he said finally, causing Sakura to look curious while Shikamaru and Sai listened closely. "They treat him about the same way me and Fu were treated when we were kids." Sakura's eyes widened while Shikamaru's narrowed. "Apparently, his father did something horrible. On top of that, he apparently has some unique power that makes them wary of him."

Sai looked at Sora quizzically before looking back at Naruto. "What power?"

The blond shrugged, "Don't know. I was told it hasn't shown itself since an incident when he was young." he said as they reached the top of the stairs. The two chunin of Konoha looked at the massive gate with a twinge of awe. Naruto had seen it before and Sai's expression didn't change. "Impressive, huh? It's not just for show either, there's a powerful barrier over the entrance."

The gate opened as the group approached and a few monks walked out to greet them. "Welcome back, Lord Chiriku."

"Any progress?" Chiriku asked.

"Sir, we've already sent some of our finest men to the remaining three hidden tombs and to search for the remains of Lord Kitane. In addition, we've tightened the security around the temple as you ordered." One of the monks told them.

Chiriku nodded, "Good. Hopefully, we'll be able to put an end to this before the situation deteriorates further." he then turned to Sora. "This crisis will not interfere with the junior monks evening training. Sora, you should go prepare yourself."

"Yeah, yeah." Sora waved him off as he walked away, placing his hands behind his head. He walked through the gates, passing the elder monk. The old man's two guards glared at him as he walked by, not even bothering to show respect, but the elder monk himself didn't seem to mind.

Chiriku motioned for the leaf ninja to follow him as he stepped forward to greet their leader. "Master, we just got back. Allow me to introduce the ninja we requested from Konoha."

"Ah, one of Jiraiya's apprentices. I assume you were promoted." The aging monk said as he appraised the group.

Naruto nodded with a smirk. "That's right. This is my team, Sakura Haruno, Shikamaru Nara and Sai. We're ready to move whenever you're ready."

"For now, we'll wait to hear back from our monks in the field. Follow me, let's discuss the situation inside." Chiriku said.

* * *

><p>Team Naruto sat on the tatami mats in a room across from Chiriku, the three chunin behind the blond.<p>

"I'd like to thank you for helping us with this." Chiriku bowed slightly. "As you may have guessed, this crime is something of a personal matter for me."

Naruto , "I thought so. I guessed that he was probably a friend of yours, seeing as you were both members of the same generation of the Twelve Guardian Ninja."

"Yes, to be more exact, he, along with those interred in the other tombs, Nauma, Seito and Tou, were all former members of the Twelve Guardian Ninja as well." Chiriku said.

Sakura spoke up, "Wait, so, you were one of the guardian ninja, Lord Chiriku?"

Chiriku smiled, "That's correct. I used to be."

Shikamaru turned to Sakura, "Just so you know, Asuma-sensei used to be a member too."

Sakura looked shocked. "Really? I didn't know that."

Naruto looked at Sakura out of the corner of his eye. "See that sash he wears on his waist? All members of the Twelve Guardian Ninja can be identified by it."

"Asuma… he's doing well, I hope." Chiriku inquired.

"Yeah, he's doing well." Naruto nodded.

Chiriku's smile widened. "Good to hear."

Naruto gestured to his lazy teammate. "If you want, you should ask Shikamaru about that later, he's one of Asuma-sensei's students." Chiriku nodded.

"So, then…" Sai began. "That means that these tombs that were broken into belonged to your friends."

The smile faded from Chiriku's face and his expression turned grim as he closed his eyes. "They were taken before their time… giving everything for the land of Fire." Chiriku stated solemnly. "Within the guardians, a faction emerged that sought to stage a coup. The guardians were divided between the loyalists and this new extremist faction. The extremists were consumed by the desire to protect this land at any cost, and formed a radical new ideology."

"They didn't want to leave the safety of the Land of Fire in the hands of Konoha, who seeks to avoid bloodshed and war whenever possible." Naruto said with a slight glare, thinking of how they reminded him of Danzo.

"That's correct." Chiriku replied. "They sought to dissolve Konoha and consolidate all military power under the Daimyo. They had laid the groundwork for it, all they needed was his blessing, and all the while, they prepared to attack our neighbors."

"What?" Sakura asked in shock.

"I see. In order to protect the Land of Fire and create their vision of true peace, they wanted to unite the world under the Land of Fire." Shikamaru said grimly, speaking up for the first time.

"Very astute of you." Chiriku complimented the lazy chunin. "His lordship discovered their plans and gave us the order to stop them. Myself, Asuma, Kitane, Nauma, Tou and Seito, fought against the six staging the coup… and in the end, Asuma and I were the only survivors of our generation of the Twelve Guardian Ninja."

"That's awful…" was all Sakura could say.

Naruto was silent for a moment before he spoke giving Chiriku a serious look. "You have our word that those who took Kitane's body won't get away with it."

Chiriku smiled, "You have my thanks."

The blond's expression didn't change. "Lord Chiriku… there's something I'd like to ask you." Naruto said and Chiriku nodded, giving him the go ahead to continue. "I didn't know what happened to your generation of the guardians. If I had, I'd probably have figured this out sooner. What you just told us, it's part of the reason Sora's hated, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Sakura's eyes widened as her head snapped to look at the blond before directing her shocked gaze at Chiriku. Shikamaru settled for narrowing his eyes and Sai remained unfazed.

Chiriku sighed, "I see… he must have told you his father was one of the twelve as well. You're right. To be more exact, Sora's father was Kazuma, the leader of the radical faction and instigator of the conflict. It is partly because of his actions that the monks here distrust Sora." The room was silent for a few moments before they heard the junior monks of the temple outside, practicing their taijutsu. "It's time for the younger monks' evening training." the monk said, standing up.

* * *

><p>After the training, Naruto joined Sora in a cave where the ninja monk spent much of his time, either training alone or enjoying being away from the monks, who detested him. Naruto was leaning against the wall of the cave watching his friend as he drew back a kunai Naruto had lent him. Flowing his wind chakra through the weapon before throwing it, the two watched the kunai tear through a boulder and through a wall of the cavern, disappearing into the stone.<p>

Naruto nodded in approval, "Nice. You've really improved."

Sora grinned, "Like I would have trouble with something like this. So, you said you had picked up a few tricks of your own. What is it?"

Naruto walked forward, now standing ahead of the older teen. "Watch closely." Naruto took out a shuriken, causing Sora to raise an eyebrow. The young monk's eyes widened as Naruto threw the metal star, invisible blades of wind extending from the points. The wind enhanced shuriken cut cleanly though the boulder, the pieces sliding off onto the ground. "Got anything else?" Naruto smirked at Sora.

Sora returned it, certain that this would one up his friend. "Yeah, take a look at this." the young ninja monk said as he walked in front of the blond. "Stand back." he warned. Naruto did as he was told and crossed his arms as Sora pulled his hand back before throwing it forward. "Beast Wave Gale Palm!"

Now it was Naruto's turn to look on, eyes wide as a mass of condensed chakra infused wind was released from Sora's palm before forming a massive claw that tore into the wall. Naruto whistled in awe, "Impressive. I see you've finally mastered that jutsu you were working on." the monk in training grinned smugly at the praise. "I'd like to spar and see just how much you've improved, but we should probably head back." the blond said as he turned to the cavern entrance, gesturing for Sora to follow.

The young monk nodded, "Yeah, it'd be a pain if they found something while we were practicing."

As they walked, Naruto looked back at Sora. "Why'd you brush off Sakura like that?"

Sora scoffed, though he was more irritated with himself than Naruto. "I just… since you guys left, it's been back to business as usual around here. I guess I'm just used to being despised. Trusting someone new isn't really easy for me."

"Tell me about it." Naruto said as he thought back to his first meeting with Sora. "But if they accept me and Fu, you shouldn't worry about them turning against you."

Sora's sighed as his gaze fell to the ground. "I suppose…"

"… Is revenge still your main goal?" Naruto inquired. Sora's greatest desire, aside from following in his father's footsteps, was to avenge him. Though he didn't know all the circumstances surrounding his death, he refused to believe his father had done the awful things he'd overheard the other monks say. Ever since he saw what it had done to Sasuke, Naruto had become concerned about the prospect of being consumed by revenge. He never wanted to see anyone walk the same path his lost friend was.

The ninja monk's eyes narrowed as he looked up at the blond. "Don't tell me you're going to start on that again!" said the teen with a swipe of his hand. "I know you're trying to help me, but this is something I decided long ago. I will find the man who killed my father and I will make him pay." He clenched his fist in front of him. "You told me how much it hurts when you think about your own parents, so think about how much worse it is for me."

Naruto halted his stride and paused before turning to Sora. "You know, there's one thing I never told you about. My best friend." Sora looked curious at that. "He was actually the first friend I ever had. He's a member of one of the most powerful clans in our village and the inheritor of one of the strongest bloodlines."

"And why haven't you mentioned him before?"

"… Around the time we were seven, something terrible happened." Naruto said, his eyes closed.

Sora felt somewhat uneasy, knowing that this must be a sore subject. "What happened?"

"His entire clan was massacred… by his own older brother." Naruto said grimly, causing Sora's eyes to widen in shock. "He swore revenge… to kill his older brother at any cost. He started to heal over the years, but a second encounter with his brother renewed his hatred. His thirst for vengeance completely consumed him and he betrayed our village for Orochimaru, a madman who tried to destroy Konoha and has the ability to take over the bodies of others to live forever and he intends to use his body as his next vessel. He told me he knows that and doesn't care if Orochimaru takes over his body as long as his brother dies in the end. He's abandoned his other goals and literally sold his own soul away for revenge and when we encountered him a few weeks ago, he tried to kill us. Not just because we were in his way, but to prove he had severed his ties with us." Sora listened in morbid fascination as Naruto turned to him. "I don't want to see anyone else end up like that."

Sora couldn't speak as he heard this, thinking about himself and wondering if he could possibly end up that way. Finally, he voiced a question that had been in the back of his mind after hearing of the betrayal. "What are you going to do about him?"

"… I'll do everything in my power to bring him back and show him that he doesn't need to live like this."

"And if you can't?"

"… The others are probably wondering where we are." Naruto mused after a moment of silence before he resumed his stride. "Come on, we need to get back before there's an update."

Sora was quiet for a moment before he spoke up and followed the blond, "Yeah, you're right."

* * *

><p>The two teens returned to the monastery to find Sakura standing just outside the main temple. The pink haired girl turned her head to see them and Naruto waved at her.<p>

"Where'd you go?" Sakura asked.

Naruto placed his hands behind his head. "Oh, you know. Just catching up some more and showing off some of our new techniques."

Sora took a step forward, seeming to have difficulty with what he was about to say. Finally, he sighed. "… Look… Sorry for brushing you off earlier."

Sakura looked slightly surprised before smiling at the older teen. "That's alright. I saw how the other monks were glaring at you during the sparring session earlier. It can't be easy living like that."

Sora began to say something before a shadow fell over them. They all looked up to see a single bird fly overhead. Sora's eyes widened. "A patrol bird. One of the other tombs must have been hit!" The three teenagers ran into the temple, coming out the other side just in time to see the bird had landed on Chiriku's outstretched arm as Sai and Shikamaru, both of whom had noticed the bird, joined them. He opened the message the bird carried and sighed.

Naruto took a few steps forward. "Which was it?" he inquired seriously.

"Lord Nauma." Chiriku replied, his face grave and his eyes closed. "… At this rate…"

"I told my team to be ready in case something happened. We should be able to move immediately." Naruto said. "We'll make them pay for disturbing your friends' resting places."

Sora stepped forward. "I'm coming too."

Chiriku nodded, "Very well."

* * *

><p>Deep in the forest, one of the two female members of the four cloaked figures who had looked over the destroyed village stood atop one of the coffins. Propelling it through the ground using an earth jutsu and riding it like a boat. In two other sections of the forest, her companions were riding on the remaining coffins, their leader sharing a coffin with the other female.<p>

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><p><strong>I hope you liked it. Please review.<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**I'd like to thank Darksmokepuncher again for betaing as well as ShadowStar91 and Masamune X23 for giving opinions and suggestions.**

**I don't own Naruto**

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><p>Tsunade sat in her office looking down on one of the last papers she'd need to take care of, when her first apprentice suddenly burst into the room.<p>

"Lady Tsunade." Shizune said urgently, quickly taking her place before the Hokage's desk. "We just received a message from the Fire Temple. All four hidden tombs have been compromised."

"Damn, they got us…" Tsunade said, her gaze briefly turning to the window before returning to the brunette. "What's our status?"

"Team Naruto is in pursuit right now."

"I see… so these aren't ordinary tomb robbers." Tsunade mused.

"What do you think they were after?" Shizune inquired.

"Most likely, the corpses of the Twelve Guardian Ninja." Tsunade said grimly.

Shizune's eyes narrowed as she considered everything that had happened recently. "I have a bad feeling about all this, milady. The attack on the border village, Akatsuki and Orochimaru going into hiding again, and…"

Tsunade could easily see what her apprentice was worried about. "Danzo?"

Shizune's eyes widened slightly when she heard the slug sannin speak the name of the man she had just been thinking about. "Yes. I wonder if it was wise to allow Sai to remain on the team."

Tsunade leaned in her chair. From what they knew of the attack on the village, someone was trying to provoke a response. While it could be Ame, it could also be someone who wants to see Konoha attack its neighbors, whether as a distraction, to weaken it or to conquer the surrounding nations. Something Danzo may do. "It was for the best. Naruto has a way of changing people. From what I've seen, he's already had an effect on Sai. That aside, as long as Sai is on the team, Danzo will trust him to monitor Naruto and Fu and is less likely to rely on more subtle means of observation." she straightened up and gave Shizune a sharp look. "Still, better safe than sorry. Shizune, assign ANBU not aligned with ROOT to keep watch on Danzo."

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

* * *

><p>Team Naruto, along with Chiriku and Sora, jumped through the trees at top speed in pursuit of the grave robbers south of the temple. After telling them to move out, Chiriku had led them this way, despite the fact that there was no information regarding the location of the grave robbers, confusing the leaf ninja who didn't know the area.<p>

"Lord Chiriku, may I ask why we're headed in this direction?" Sai inquired.

The head monk turned his head to the ROOT operative. "The coffins the thieves are taking are heavy. The Fire Temple is surrounded on three sides by cliffs: The Blue Dragon, White Turtle and Black Turtle. Their only way out is towards the Red Phoenix, in other words, the south."

Soon, the group arrived at a cliff overlooking a large plain, stretching out in every direction. "Good view." Naruto noted.

"Yeah, you can see everything from here." Shikamaru agreed, his eyes alert, displaying none of his usual laziness. "On the one hand, if the enemy does come this way we'll see them. On the other, if they knew that beforehand, this is the perfect place for an ambush."

Naruto nodded as he surveyed the landscape. "No kidding. They could be hiding underground or have any number of traps prepared for us."

"Wouldn't your sensory jutsu be able to locate them if that was the case?" Sai inquired.

Naruto shook his head. "Not if they're underground." he said, preparing to activate said technique when suddenly, he caught the sight of four coffins, obviously the ones from the tombs, bursting from the ground and traversing the field, propelled by some unknown technique.

It may as well have had 'this is a trap' written all over it in neon colors.

"It would seem your assumptions were correct, this is a trap." Chirku commented, placing a hand on his chin. "With such a technique, there's no other reason for them to move the coffins above ground like this. But if we do nothing, then they'll get away with the bodies."

Shikamaru's eyes roamed the plains, looking uncharacteristically alert. "Yeah, but what's the point of this? They already have what they came for, unless…"

"They're not just after the bodies." Naruto finished for him.

"In which case their target is most likely…" Sai trailed off.

Sakura gave Naruto a worried glance. Sora and Chiriku were also aware of his status as a Jinchuriki and all present knew Sai's unsaid guess. '_Either Chiriku, or me._' Naruto thought. '_Most likely Chiriku. They couldn't have known I'd be assigned to this mission._' "Better see what we're up against." The blond said before closing his eyes, activating his sensory jutsu and extending his senses. His brow furrowed as he briefly noted there was something odd with Sora's chakra, this being the first time he felt it since he perfected the technique. There were traces of chakra in his system that felt familiar but it was in too small amounts for him to really tell what it was. Eventually, his senses reached the other side of the plain. There, on a cliff opposite their own, he felt four chakra signatures. "I found them." Naruto's eyes opened. "There are four. Two of them have high jonin level chakra reserves, one low chunin and the last one…"

"What is it?" Sakura inquired with a quizzical expression.

"The last one has kage level reserves… and the chakra is foul. Vile, like Orochimaru's."

Sakura's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"Just that. Orochimaru's chakra had this disgusting, tainted feeling to it. It's different, but this chakra signature is corrupted like his."

"So, that one's likely the leader?" Sora asked.

Naruto shook his head, "No. You can guess, but you can't really judge a person's skill based on their chakra level. When I was a genin, I had larger reserves than most jonin but I wouldn't have lasted two seconds against one in a serious fight. And I've run into plenty of people with chunin level reserves who were weaker than genin." he thought for a moment before turning to his pink haired teammate. "Sakura. You said you've learned Underground Move, right?"

Sakura nodded, "Yes, Kakashi-sensei insisted I learn that technique and others like it before learning the technique I borrowed from your library."

"Good. Then you come with me. We'll attack from underground. Chiriku, you stay here, we can't be sure if you are their second target."

"Very well." Chiriku nodded.

"Sai, you stay here with Chiriku. If something happens, you'll be able to call in reinforcements the fastest thanks to your abilities. You'll also watch his back in case he really is their target until we come back. Sora, you're a monk of the Fire Temple, so you head straight for the coffins. Guarding them is your responsibility. Shikamaru, cover him. Sakura and I will attack from behind and separate them. Once that's done, Shikamaru and Sai will join us."

"Right." The four addressed teens replied. Sora then leapt off the edge, falling a few dozen yards before planting his feet on the cliff face and running down over it. As soon as he left, Naruto and Sakura both sunk into the ground. Shikamaru soon followed after Sora as Chiriku and Sai looked on.

* * *

><p>On the other side of the field, three of the grave robbers stood together while the leader sat apart from them. The group had removed their cloaks and hats, revealing they all had similar attire. The leader wore a purple, robe-like garment with black, red and yellow lining and had long white hair, tanned skin and a thin scar across his face from above his right eye to left cheek. The white haired man smirked as he saw them run after the coffins, the one in the lead being his target.<p>

"Good, they fell for it." he said. Through the same technique that was used to manipulate the coffins, he sensed vibrations from someone moving through the ground. His smirk widened slightly as he guessed their plan. "Oh, ho. It seems we've underestimated them. Looks like they sniffed us out."

"Really? This may be more interesting than I thought." One of the female members said, with an arrogant smirk. "They may just be worthy of my masterpiece after all."

"Hmph, it doesn't matter. They're just a bunch of kids from Konoha. They don't stand a chance." The other male member said.

The leader chuckled, "One should never underestimate their enemies." he casually remarked before making two hand signs.

* * *

><p>The coffins suddenly stopped moving and righted themselves, now standing straight up, before pinning and drilling into the ground, disappearing without a trace. The two assigned to capture the bodies stopped, scanning the field.<p>

"Damn." Shikamaru cursed. "I knew something like this would happen."

"Do we wait for the signal?" Sora asked.

Shikamaru shook his head, "No, best if we create a distraction to help Naruto and Sakura outflank them."

* * *

><p>As the teens closed in on the grave robbers, the coffins moved far faster than any of them because of the jutsu and burst from the ground before the leader. The man looked over his shoulder at his followers. "Fudo, Fuen, Fuka."<p>

"Yes." his followers answered in unison.

"I will remain here and greet him. You three take care of the others. Be quick, two are moving underground to attack us." the leader ordered, standing up.

"Right."

"Well," the woman named Fuka began. She wore a provocative, dark-pink and shoulderless gi-like shirt with black, purple and yellow lining, loose arm-warmers reaching her upper arms and light-purple spandex-shorts and black, low heeled boots. She had blue eyes and long, wavy maroon hair. "You heard him, you wouldn't want to keep our leader waiting."

The other woman, Fuen, chuckled as she took out a scroll. She had long dark brown hair and wore globe-like earrings, red lipstick and orange eye shadow. She had blue eyes and wore a choker around her neck. Her outfit consisted of a magenta qípáo-like dress with black and tan stripes and pink sleeves, light purple stockings that went down to her feet and striped sandals. "It's always a pleasure to see one of my masterpieces brought to life." she unfurled the scroll, revealing it to be a drawing of the landscape and placed in on the ground.

Fudo stepped forward, now standing before the picture. He had wild, spiky black hair and two markings similar to those of the Inuzuka on his cheeks. He wore a dark green, sleeveless shirt with black, light blue and yellow lining and grey pants. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't forget who took your drawing and made it a reality." he glared at Fuen.

"Unless you want to upset Furido, a former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, I suggest you stop squabbling." Fuka warned with a slightly sinister smirk.

"Fine." Fudo replied. The man then made three hand signs before biting his thumb. "Earth Style: Impermanence!"

The leader, now identified as Furido, smirked, "How long I've waited to awaken the Land of Fire." he turned to the coffins as the ground began to tremble beneath them. "Wake up, it's time for you to live again…"

* * *

><p>Shikamaru and Sora suddenly sensed danger and jumped dozens of feet into the air, just in the nick of time as the ground burst open where they had been a moment ago.<p>

"What the hell?" the Nara growled.

An enormous stone pillar erupted from the ground, separating Shikamaru and Sora and eventually becoming a small mountain. Soon, dozens more joined the first as the land continued to shift, bending to the will of the grave robbers and transforming into an enormous, mountainous maze riddled with traps.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Sakura's eyes widened. They had made it about three quarters of the way to the enemy and had just separated to attack from different sides when the earth began to shift around them. They quickly burst from the ground as stone walls began to grow around them. '_What the hell? They have earth jutsu of this level? Damn it, did I underestimate them?_' Naruto questioned himself, shielding his face with his arms as he quickly found himself locked in a large underground cavern. Sakura herself was in a similar situation a short distance away.

At the edge of the shifting terrain, Sai and Chiriku lifted their arms as protection and peered over them when they noted that the stone shards stopped bombarding their bodies. Chiriku had a grim look, while Sai wore his normal blank expression. "Can it be?" Chiriku spoke, a wall of stone before him with a few rock pillars and mountains peeking over the top where there had once been an open plain.

Sai looked on, unfamiliar feelings invading his heart as he observed what had once been a wide valley. "Lord Chiriku, do you know of any jutsu that could cause such a geological change?"

"No… I-" the head monk was suddenly cut off as the ground shifted under their feet. The cliff, destabilized by the shifting terrain, could not support their weight. Their eyes widened, as the earth gave way beneath them and they found themselves falling through the air. Sai quickly pulled out his scroll and brush and drew a bird of ink in seconds.

"Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll!" the bird of ink came to life and left the painting. Circling around once, it flew beneath and caught the two shinobi, quickly flying back up to the cliff, coming to a stop far enough away from the edge that a similar incident wouldn't occur.

Chiriku leapt off of the bird and turned to it, appraising it briefly. "That's quite the convenient ability." He noted. "I assume this is how you will contact that temple?"

Sai nodded as he began to draw several small birds on his scroll. "Yes. My ink animals will form a message, alerting of the situation, once they reach it." he explained as he finished drawing, releasing a half dozen ink birds, each about twice the size of ones palm, which quickly flew off in the direction of the temple. The ROOT operative's gaze returned to the newly created mountain range his team was trapped in. After a moment, he was able to identify the strange, unpleasant feelings he felt.

He was feeling worried. He had read a great deal about them, but this was the first time he had experienced them in a long time, not since those barely remembered days where his brother still lived. These teens had been the first he had formed bonds with in so long, and now, their status was unknown. They could have been crushed by the changing landscape since the enemy obviously knew where they were.

It didn't take even a moment to decide on his course of action. He flew off to find his team as Chiriku looked on.

The ninja monk's gaze turned grim as he studied at the stone blocking his vision again, waiting for reinforcements to arrive.

* * *

><p>Sora was falling through the air, flipping around and landing on his feet in a crouch. The distance he had fallen would have been more than enough to kill a normal man, but to a ninja, it was nothing special.<p>

He stood up and looked around. "Looks like I'm on my own." the young monk said. "Oh well, I work best alone anyway."

As far as planning went, Sora was a lot like Naruto prior to his training trip. Though he would follow the plans of others, he much preferred to rush in head first and think of things as he went along. Only taking a moment to consider his options, he jumped up the chasm, planning to head in the direction of the enemy, intent on facing them and figuring that his friend's team would likely do the same after regrouping.

* * *

><p>Naruto stood deep in one of the caverns created by the enemies' jutsu. He quickly scanned his surroundings before reactivating his sensory technique, this time keeping it active. The caverns obstructed his technique, confining his wind within the cave system instead of allowing it to flow freely and vastly limiting his range.<p>

He began to walk in the direction his teammates had been prior to the geological change, keeping himself on guard and still extending his senses through the wind. His eyes narrowed as he felt a chakra signature nearby, the foul one from the grave robbers, apparently using a jutsu similar to Fu's chameleon technique to hide in plain sight nearby.

* * *

><p>In a cavern deep in the maze, Shikamaru groaned as he got himself off the ground. "Man, how troublesome." the Nara said as he stood, his eyes scanning the cavern. "I knew the enemy weren't ordinary grave robbers, but this is just-" his eyes widened as a rumbling alerted him to danger. His head shot up and he saw the ground fracture, ripping open to reveal a large fissure. He jumped into the air out of the path of the opening ravine, and didn't notice as a tracker was flung at him and attached to his weapons pouch.<p>

"It's simply marvelous, isn't it?" A female voice caught his attention. He looked up and saw Fuen, sitting with her back to him. "My design is impeccable, wouldn't you agree?" she said, turning to face him. "I've been looking forward to matching wits with a member of the famous Nara clan."

Shikamaru raised a brow before sighing, "I swear… why do I always end up fighting women?"

Fuen covered her mouth with her sleeve. "My my, how chivalrous. I didn't think anyone who felt that way would live that long."

Shikamaru glared at the grave robber, "What are you after? You already had the coffins and if you were capable of earth jutsu of this level, you could have gotten away easily. You're after one of us, aren't you? What are you planning?"

"My, how perceptive." Fuen drawled. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I won't be able to answer that. Besides, you should be more worried about surviving my masterpiece. While I finally prove the genius of my design, my companions will deal with your friends. I'm sure that soon enough… you'll all be dead."

* * *

><p>Back at the Fire Temple, the ninja monks were all on guard, awaiting news from the field when suddenly, a flock of ink birds flew overhead. Everyone looked in surprise as the birds flew right into a scroll, turning into ink letters, overlaying the original writing.<p>

The monk of highest rank approached the scroll, his eyes pouring over its new contents. On it was a report of what was happening in the field, as well as proof the message was from a Konoha ninja. The monk quickly began giving orders to mobilize and alert Konoha of the situation.

* * *

><p>Sakura leapt across the rocky outcroppings and walls of the cavern, attempting to locate her teammates. After the landscape had stopped shifting, she found herself trapped in a cavern and had quickly moved in the general direction Naruto was in before the upheaval.<p>

'_To be able to manipulate the landscape like this…_' she thought, still slightly amazed. '_To make it worse…_' she thought as she remembered what happened soon after she came to. Her danger senses had gone off and she moved forward with a burst of speed just in time to avoid several large stone spikes that fell from the ceiling. Upon looking up, she saw the damage repair itself, showing that this had not been a result of the shifting landscape. '_This place is riddled with traps._'

"Well, well, this is a surprise." she heard a masculine voice call out. The kunoichi lifted her gaze to see Fudo looking down at her, his arms crossed. "You and your partners weren't meant to survive our jutsu, and yet a little girl like you is still standing. My execution was perfect. Fuen must have really screwed up with the design if you were able to survive."

Sakura's eyes narrowed, bristling slightly at the 'little girl' remark, but more on edge due to the knowledge that he was the one who changed the landscape. "I'm tired of everyone calling me a little girl." she growled, remembering that Sasori was similarly dismissive of her. "Who are you guys? What are you after with those coffins?"

"Hmph, why should I tell you? You won't live long enough to care." Fudo replied casually, grinning smugly before making the bird hand sign. "Earth Style: Earth Flow Spears!"

Sakura immediately sprung into the air, dodging a series of deadly spikes that erupted from the ground where she had once stood. She hastily maneuvered herself across the walls and the stone spikes followed after her, quickly catching up until finally, one hit her, only for the pink haired girl to be replaced with a human sized boulder in a burst of smoke.

Fudo's eyes narrowed before he smirked, turning as Sakura sent a hail of poisoned senbon towards him from behind, all targeting pressure points. Sakura's eyes widened as the needles bounced off of him. "Nice try, but I'm afraid you'll have to better than that." he said, light briefly reflecting off of something transparent covering his face. Fudo then jumped forward, rearing back his fist as he sailed through the air.

Sakura leapt back and Fudo's fist collided with the stone outcropping she'd been standing on, destroying it utterly. Sakura grinned. If he wanted to play that way, then he was in for a surprise. She was sure whatever jutsu he used to block her attack would defend him, but a counter attack now would give her some idea about how strong his defense was.

Fudo repeated his attack twice, preferring brute force over planning. Sakura dodged both attacks before surprising him by charging forward as a dust cloud from his most recent attack obscured his vision. He lashed out with a kick where he expected the kunoichi to be, only to be surprised but not worried when he saw the chunin had ducked around his attack and was moving upward, her fist on a collision course with his face.

He couldn't dodge but smirked as the fist grew closer, certain the pink haired girl would accomplish nothing more than hurting her hand and leaving herself open to an easy finisher. He was soon proven wrong when her fist slammed into his face with enough force that he felt it though his armor and the world around him became a blur as he went flying through the air and into the ceiling of the cavern, impacting heavily and kicking up another dust cloud before falling along with the debris created by his impact. He could hardly believe how strong the girl was; she had actually cracked his armor! He was certain his jaw was fractured and at least one of his teeth was loosened.

Sakura glared at the spot where her adversary landed, ignoring the bolts of pain shooting though her hand. She was happy that it was probably enough to wipe that smug grin off his face, but was now certain she was dealing with a technique very similar to Earth Style: Earth Spear in effect. That severely limited her options. She briefly wished she had decided to focus on genjutsu rather than Ninja Art: Poison Fog which she had yet to master, but she then realized that any genjutsu she could have learned in the short time since she began training in earnest wouldn't have helped against someone with the skill and chakra control necessary to use such a large scale earth technique.

The dust cleared to reveal that, in spite of the blow to his head, Fudo had landed on his feet, holding his jaw while the visible cracks in his transparent armor vanished as it repaired itself. "Well, I've got to admit, you're stronger than I gave you credit for." The man said, speaking carefully because of his fractured jaw before smirking. "That makes things more interesting."

* * *

><p>Naruto continued to move in the direction of his companions, extending the range of his sensory technique and keeping a watchful eye on the presence that was following him. He smirked as he sensed an exit to the cave. He began heading towards the way out, all the while preparing to strike at the source of the foul chakra.<p>

His eyes widened as he heard and felt a rumbling sound. He looked to its source and found a large boulder headed his way. He easily avoided it, shooting forward in a burst of speed and watched as it rolled by, on alert for some kind of follow up. Satisfied there was none, he looked where the boulder came from.

"Jeez, talk about unoriginal…" Naruto commented.

A feminine chuckle was heard from behind him. "I couldn't agree more. Fuen's traps really aren't terribly creative." his tail agreed. Naruto turned to see Fuka walking forward and glared at her slightly. The blond was a bit disappointed; he'd expected her to attack while she thought his guard was down and had prepared to counter. That she'd come out like this meant she was probably underestimating him due to his age, which, though slightly irritating, was fine by him. "My, what a focused look you've got." the woman said before sighing. "I was kind of hoping that you would fall for it though, manual labor's not my thing."

"Sorry to disappoint you." Naruto deadpanned, sarcasm oozing from his tone. "How about we make this quick then?"

Fuka tilted her head, chuckling with a smile. "Exactly what I was thinking." The maroon haired woman vanished, becoming invisible once more as she closed the distance between the two. As soon as she was within range, Naruto created a blade of wind chakra and swiped. The woman was barely able to duck around the attack. She jumped back as Naruto lashed out with a kick, dropping her jutsu once she realized he could still detect her, and briefly engaged him in a taijutsu match, taking care to avoid the deadly wind blade. Fear crossed her features as she leant back, the sword coming mere inches from cutting her hair, and jumping away, slightly on edge. "That was close… it wouldn't do to have my precious hair damaged." Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. "So, you've got the wind chakra nature." The woman mused.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"It's just so rare. I've been looking for wind chakra bearers." Fuka replied before sauntering forward a few steps. "Say, I'm not really interested in fighting. How about we do something more fun instead? I can teach you all about a woman's secrets."

Naruto gave her an incredulous look, "… Are you out of your mind?"

Fuka chuckled, leaning forward and beckoning with her finger provocatively, "How cute. So, how about it, little boy? How about we start with a nice, hot, kiss?"

"I'm taken, lady." Naruto replied before gaining a mischievous smirk. "Besides, I've seen better."

Fuka's jaw dropped as she blinked. For several seconds she stood still, continuing to blink as she processed what he'd just said, before her face twisted into a furious snarl. "… WHAT?"

Naruto smirked and crossed his arms. Unbeknownst to him, the Kyuubi was laughing inside his seal. "You heard me. I've seen better. My girlfriend, for one, is way more attractive."

"You little brat! I was going to make this easy on you, but now I've changed my mind!" Fuka snarled, running through hand signs before waving her hand. "Earth Style: Mud Silhouette!" An enormous river of mud rose from behind her and flowed around her as she made a second series of seals. "Water Style: Mouth of the Serpent!" A mass of water rose, forming the rough likeness of a snake before moving forward and combining with the mud, increasing the speed and power of the jutsu.

The blond vanished in a burst of speed as the attack approached him. Reappearing on the roof of the cave, he clawed his hand and swiped through the air, producing roughly a dozen small blades of wind. Fuka's eyes widened before she weaved through the wind blades. Naruto leapt off of the ceiling and dived at the rogue ninja, creating another blade of wind chakra from his fingertips.

Fuka barely managed to skip back in time to avoid the blade and was forced once again into an exchange of hand-to-hand combat. Though her skill with taijutsu was considerable, it wasn't her forte and the blonde had a clear advantage. Combined with the wind blade and she could barely survive the exchange.

Naruto threw a punch at the maroon haired woman, who blocked and ducked when he followed through with a slash of his wind sword. She lashed out with a kick aimed at the blond's face, but he leaned back to dodge. Fuka flipped and spun on her hands, unleashing a second kick, making the blue eyed Jinchuriki jump back.

Seeing Fuka begin forming hand signs, Naruto quickly swiped his hand, releasing a crescent shaped wind blade which Fuka ducked under, her eyes widened with fear as the blade came mere centimeters from her hair.

Naruto charged forward, making a slashing motion with his wind sword. Fuka dodged but was caught in the chest when he spun into a kick, sending her back into a wall. The blond Jinchuriki charged forward to end it only for her to vanish into the stone wall behind her, the invisible blade slicing into the wall.

She reappeared on a ledge on the other side of the cavern. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Fuka placed her hand before her mouth and breathed out dozens of fireballs, which Naruto began dodging. Once the last fireball was released, she exhaled, using her hand to mold the air into a small, spiraling ball of wind before firing a stream of wind spheres at the blond.

Naruto dodged every one, weaving his way around them before vanishing in a Body Flicker. Fuka's eyes narrowed as she looked around, searching for the blond. Her eyes widened as she ducked, barely avoiding being decapitated from behind. She jumped back and vanished, sinking into the stone once again.

The blond cursed, making a mental note to add that jutsu to his arsenal after the mission. A moment later, he sensed a slight tremor in the ground and jumped into the air just in time to avoid a series of spikes that erupted from the ground. He quickly leapt through the cave, spikes shooting out from beneath every time he landed. He sensed Fuka reappear and turned to see her finish a jutsu.

The ground tore open just as he was about to land and he fell into a pit, using his chakra to stick himself to its wall as Fuka completed another jutsu.

"Water Style: Onyx Wave!" Fuka spit out a wave of oil. As the liquid surged to the pit, she quickly channeled fire chakra for a seal-less jutsu. "Fire Style: Small Fire Stream!" She breathed out a fine burst of fire, barely enough to cause a second degree burn but more than sufficient to ignite the oil, resulting in an enormous wave of fire.

The pit Fuka created vanished in the blaze, completely obscuring it from view. She stood on guard for a few moments, waiting for some form of retaliation.

Naruto stood on the other side of the inferno, having escaped the pit in time to avoid the oil, and ran through hand signs.

The fire cleared just in time for Fuka to see his counter attack. "Ninja Art: Toad Oil Bullet!" Naruto spat a wave of greenish, sticky oil which was ignited by the remaining flames as it made its way to the grave robber. Fuka sunk into the ground just in time to avoid being incinerated.

He sensed her behind him and turned just in time to see her finish another jutsu.

"Water Style: Storm Upheaval!" A massive amount of water crashed down behind the woman and flowed around her, flooding the cave.

Naruto's eyes widened as the wave of water grew closer and soon overtook him, sweeping him along with it. Surprise overcoming his features as he heard his opponent announce her next technique. "Lightning Style: Earth Flash!"

'_The Hell? How can she be this skilled in all the elements?_' Naruto thought in shock as the water was electrocuted.

Fuka smirked as she continued channeling lightning. "What's wrong, little boy? Weren't you going to finish this quickly?" she asked before her eyes widened in disbelief as she was impaled from behind by an invisible blade. She shakily turned her head, seeing the blond behind her. "How?" her eyes turned to see the shocked Naruto vanish in a poof of smoke. "A clone?"

"One of my favorite jutsu."

"Da-… damn it…" Fuka said before she grew still. Naruto let out a sigh. She had been a skilled opponent to control all five elements to such a degree.

The blond's eyes widened as his jaw dropped when her body suddenly turned to dust. Seconds later, he sensed her appear behind him and turned to see the maroon haired woman, leaning against a large boulder with her arms crossed. "My, my… you know, that's not how you treat a lady." She said as she stepped away from the boulder with a sneer. "I'll have to teach you the consequences of harming a woman."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. This was different than when she sunk into the ground; it was as if she had just appeared out of thin air. And he was certain he'd hit the real one. Noting her foul chakra again, which had taken a nose dive between her apparent death and reappearance, there was obviously more to this woman than met the eye.

* * *

><p>Sakura jumped back, narrowly avoiding Fudo as he came down, his fist slamming into the ground where she had stood merely a moment ago and devastated the earth in a manner reminiscent of the damage she and her sensei would cause with their attacks. While Fudo barely looked injured aside from the damage to his jaw, Sakura was covered in dirt and small scratches. Ever since she landed that earlier blow on her opponent, he had stopped playing around with her and she found herself on the defensive, able to do little more than dodge his attacks. Due to his Rock Armor, her attacks were largely ineffective while he could pound away at her with impunity.<p>

Fudo turned and smirked. "What's wrong, little girl. Is running all you can do?" He clasped his hands together and Sakura quickly jumped back, just in time to avoid a series of stone pillars that burst from the ground at various angles, though some were directed at her, most appeared at her sides.

As she destroyed one of the stone pillars with a punch, she sensed something behind her. Her eyes darted in the direction of the disturbance as a stone wall rose behind her, blocking her retreat. With the wall and the columns boxing her in, she had no where to retreat to as Fudo charged, rapidly closed the distance between them. Sakura reached into her pouch and, with the little room she had, managed to maneuver herself around Fudo's blow, a feat she was sure she wouldn't be able to repeat in her position, before pulling out a flash bomb.

Fudo's eyes widened as the small sphere hovered in the air across from his eyes for a moment before going off, blinding him. Sakura, who was prepared for this, slammed her fist into his chest, sending him flying into the wall of the cavern. Sakura quickly jumped onto a diagonal pillar and away from the death trap created by her adversary before kneeling down and clutching her arm in pain as she channeled glowing green chakra into it, healing the damage as best she could. "Damn it… my strength and my weapons are useless…" she said to herself.

As she knelt there, waiting for her enemy to attack, Fudo rose out of the ground on a plateau behind her, sneering at the pink haired girl. He had never imagined the chunin would give him so much trouble. Making the ram hand sign, Fudo called out. "Earth Style: Antlion Jutsu!"

Sakura's eyes widened as the ground began to shift beneath her. She quickly jumped onto a nearby stone as the soil grew soft and collapsed inward, drawing everything to the center of a large pit. Sakura rapidly made her way out of it, leaping from stone to stone, quickly reaching a plateau opposite Fudo's.

"Well, I'll admit, you've given me more trouble than I would have thought." Fudo commended at the pink haired girl. "But that ends here."

"At least we agree on something." Sakura replied as she took out a syringe from her pouch. The rogue ninja's eyes narrowed as she injected herself with an unknown liquid.

'_What was that?_' Fudo thought before a look of recognition crossed his features. '_Of course, her strength and this level of talent…_' "I see… you're a medic… not just that, I'd guess you're a student of the current Hokage: the slug princess, Tsunade."

"Brilliant. Was it my enhanced strength that gave it away?" Sakura replied sarcastically.

Fudo chuckled. "Well, how fortunate. I get to take out the apprentice of that superfluous village's leader."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

Rather than answering, Fudo launched himself forward. '_What was it she injected herself with? A drug to enhance her abilities? Whatever it was, it won't help her._' Sakura dodged several attacks from Fudo, countering with a few of her own, before Fudo slammed his fist into the ground, creating a smoke screen. The medic-nin jumped backwards but her eyes widened as a stone pillar burst from the cloud.

Unable to dodge, Sakura brought her arms up in front of her chest in a cross guard and braced herself just as the pillar slammed into her, sending her flying through the air and into the wall of the cavern, the stone shattering upon impact. Sakura spat up blood at the collision and fell to the ground, landing in a sitting position. Her face contorted in pain before she looked up and saw the grave robber moving to finish her.

Fudo's fist collided with the ground, creating a large crater and kicking up dust and debris. When the cloud cleared, Fudo was glaring at the spot where the girl had been, nothing but a shattered stone in her place.

Sakura leaned against a large boulder, breathing heavily as she channeled healing chakra to her wounds. She could feel there was some internal bleeding, her ribs were sprained and the beginnings of a bruise could be seen on her right arm. The medical ninja did her best to heal the damage as quickly as possible before pulling out several kunai, ignoring the diminished, but still present throbbing coursing through her as she made her move.

Fudo's brow furrowed when he heard her and turned to see several kunai hurtling through the air towards him. He crossed his arms and allowed the attacks to hit, absently noting that they bore explosive tags. He closed his eyes, knowing his armor would protect him from the explosion.

In a moment, the tags detonated and Fudo was consumed by the blast. He opened his eyes as the smoke began to clear, revealing he was unharmed. "You see now? It's no-" he then saw Sakura in the air, rapidly moving towards him in a falling axe-kick. Fudo jumped backwards, but Sakura's attack shattered the ground, creating a hole both fell into. As they were falling through the air, Sakura threw several bombs. Fudo's eyes widened as they erupted with purple smoke. He quickly latched onto the wall of the pit, only to be caught off-guard as the teenage kunoichi appeared above him and delivered a punishing fist to his chest. The damage she sustained had weakened her blow, but it was still more than enough for Fudo to feel through his armor and to be sent plummeting into the purple cloud, Sakura falling in soon after.

Fudo slammed into the bottom of the pit and quickly traveled through the stone, emerging at its top. "Little bitch." He snarled as he clasped his hands together, taking control of the earth and collapsing the pit. The large man was breathing heavily as he looked at his foe's apparent grave before coughing and falling to one knee. '_Damn… I must have inhaled some of that… must have been some kind of poison._' he could feel his chakra slipping out of his control and quickly sunk into the ground.

Sakura peered over a rock from a plateau overlooking Fudo's position and breathed a sigh of relief. She had barely managed to Body Flicker out of the pit before Fudo had closed it. She reached into her pouch, quickly taking out and consuming a food pill, deciding to rest a bit before searching for her team.

* * *

><p>Shikmaru's eyes narrowed as he ran through a cavern, only for a wall of stone to erupt from the ground before him. In moments, another blocked the path he had came from, effectively locking him in. There was only one direction he could go, straight up. So, knowing that this was exactly what his adversary wanted, he began leaping from wall to wall, quickly scaling the stone pillars.<p>

As he did, he assessed the situation he found himself in. His opponent was either a sensor or had some method of tracking him as she always knew his exact location, could control the terrain that she and her allies had created, allowing her to produce traps before him no matter where he went, and beneath the pale light of the moon and the darkness of the caverns, his shadow techniques were weakened, vastly limiting his options.

As he reached the surface, the ground suddenly gave way beneath him, he looked down an saw dozens of narrow stone spikes erupt from the ground below. Fortunately, he didn't have to think of a way out of the situation as moments later, he was caught by an odd black and white bird which quickly took off to the sky.

The cloud watching chunin looked up to see Sai sitting just below the neck of the ink bird.

Fuen observed from a nearby plateau, her map on the ground before her as she looked up, seeing the glowing dot on the map that represented the Nara moving rapidly away. She smirked when she saw the bird.

"My my… how fortunate for him." Fuen commented.

Shikamaru looked to Sai then back down to the altered terrain. "Good timing."

"Are you grateful?" Sai asked and Shikamaru hummed in response. The ROOT operative turned to his with his false smile. "I read that one should be grateful when another saves lives. It helps foster friendship. Naruto told me to take everything I read with a grain of salt, but the theory seems logical to me."

Shikamaru sighed. "This is too troublesome a time to ask such things, and you shouldn't pose a question like that. Anyway, we have more important things to worry about."

Sai's expression became serious. "What's the situation?"

"I have no idea where the others are or what their condition is. The enemy, or at least my opponent, has total control of the terrain and she's used it to create traps wherever I go. I think she's toying with me, until just now, none of her traps were lethal. Troublesome woman seems full of herself."

Sai turned his head to the Nara and raised a brow. "So, she's a sensor in addition to a master of the earth element?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes, reviewing everything he'd heard and seen before opening them. "No. She told me she was going to deal with me while her companions fought our comrades. If she was a sensor, they'd just sit back and let her guide and kill us by altering the terrain. Best case scenario, she's using some method to track only me. It's either that or she's a sensor with a very short range and can't cover this entire area they created." He explained.

Sai nodded. "It's ill advised to face the enemy in a terrain they control, but it seems we have little choice."

Shikamaru nodded closed his eyes again, running through everything he knew. '_How could she be tracking me?_' he asked himself. '_This jutsu of hers allows her to control this terrain. If she could sense everyone in it, she wouldn't be focusing on me alone. If she's a sensor with a short range, there's nothing we can do, but if she isn't…_' He recalled how she simply disappeared after speaking with him earlier. '_She has the ability to completely disguise her presence… could she have placed something on me?_' "Sai, I need your help with something." The ROOT-nin turned his head and looked at the lazy chunin.

Fuen watched as the bird grew closer to her position before making her move. Raising her hand to the bird, she called out, "Earth Style: Spears of Stone!"

Dozens of spears of rock shot out of the ground, hurtling through the air towards the bird.

The ink construct rapidly flapped its wings, dodging several of the spears before taking a hit in the center of its chest, reducing it to the ink it was made from. Shikamaru and Sai jumped at the last minute, falling through the air to the center of one of the highest plateaus. The moment they landed, rather than solid ground, the earth crumbled beneath their feet and they plummeted down into a deep pit. Both Konoha ninja got up and stared at the top as Fuen shifted into view, looking down at them both with a superior smirk on her face.

"So then, is this the best the famed Nara clan can do?" Fuen said condescendingly. "Then again, I suppose this darkness does limit your options. Oh, well, I guess this is the end." The brunette said before holding out her hand. "Earth Style: Spears of Stone!" Several hunks of rock dislodged and fell towards the two teens, forming themselves into spears as they closed in on their targets. They hit dead on, eliciting no reaction from the pair, who melted into ink a moment later, leaving behind the tracer. "What?"

"Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll!" Fuen turned to see several ink lions closing in on her. Another application of the spears of stone technique quickly destroyed them, only for her to hear something behind her. She turned and saw Shikamaru, kneeling with his hands in the rat hand sign. Before she could react, a flash bomb in the air behind the Nara went off.

Fuen shielded her eyes as Shikamaru activated his technique, his shadow, covering most of the platform due to the flash bomb, quickly linked the two adversaries. "Now!" Shikamaru yelled, his shadow forming several tendrils around his opponent and moving to skewer her.

Just moments before his Shadow Sewing Technique would have been complete; Shikamaru sensed a presence from behind him as a shadow fell over him. He turned his head to see Fudo bringing his fist down. Shikamaru jumped out o the way at the last moment with Fuen forced to follow his movement as he dodged the blow. The female rogue ninja noted that Fudo's attack caused deep cracks in the stone, which was impressive but nothing compared to what he'd normally do.

Sai quickly moved in to attack as the light from the flash bomb faded, but Fudo quickly made the rat hand sign and called out, "Earth Style: Bedrock Coffin!" Sections of rock burst from the ground, surrounding him and closing in to crush him.

Shikamaru threw several kunai at Fudo, but they bounced off of Fudo's armor as the coffin was completed and Sai vanished within its confines. Unseen to the others, the captured 'Sai' burst into ink when the coffin was complete. Just as Fudo moved to attack the lazy chunin, several ink birds flew in. Another round of stone spears destroyed them, but they provided a decent distraction and Sai, riding on the back of another large ink bird, dive bombed the spiky haired grave robber. He leapt off the bird and attempted to impale him with his tanto.

Fudo raised his arm in defense. Sai brought his sword down on their new opponent but was shocked when his blade snapped against his armor. Fudo growled as he countered with a sideways strike, Sai blocking with his left arm, crying out in pain as he felt the bone fracture. The force of the blow sent the ROOT operative flying into a boulder.

"Sai!" Shikamaru called out before his eyes turned back to the male grave robber, who slammed his palms on the ground. Almost immediately, the ground collapsed underneath the two Konoha ninja, and they and the rubble plummeted to the bottom of the valley, Shikamaru's jutsu shattered as they fell.

Fuen, taking a moment to recover from the humiliation of being reduced to a puppet, peered over the edge and saw no trace of them, knowing they'd escaped. "My, but that certainly was a close one." she commented. "I suppose the Nara are worthy of their reputation after all." She then turned her head to her teammate, who was on a knee. "You've certainly seen better days. Don't tell me you had this much trouble with your opponent."

"Shut up. Don't talk like you did any better." Fudo remarked before coughing up blood. "That little bitch… poisoned me." He said before going into another coughing fit.

Fuen sighed. "I would have had him, had he not received unexpected help. You on the other hand, were put in this condition by a single opponent. Really, out of the four of us, you truly are the least valuable. Getting yourself into such a predicament." Fudo glared at the woman. "Very well, come and I shall do my best to heal you."

* * *

><p>Shikamaru peeked out of the alcove he and Sai had hidden themselves in. Seeing that they weren't being followed and confident that their enemies were no longer capable of tracking them, he turned to Sai. The ROOT operative was sitting against the wall, holding his injured arm with a grimace. He had to admit it was a little frustrating. Another moment and they would have had the arrogant woman and the enemy would no longer have been able to control the terrain, but it was too troublesome for him to dwell on such things.<p>

"I don't think we'll have a problem with them following us anymore." Shikamaru commented. "How's the arm?"

Sai looked down at his injured limb. "I believe it's broken."

Shikamaru nodded, having suspected this. "We can splint it, but for anything more, we'll have to find Sakura. Though it would be best if we could find all the others and regroup."

Sai took out his scroll with his right hand and laid it on the ground. He knelt down, doing his best to ignore the pain, and began drawing. "This should help. It is fortunate that I only need one hand to draw." Soon, dozens of mice came to life and quickly rushed out of the cavern, searching for their missing teammates as they began to tend to the pale teen's injury.

* * *

><p>Far away from where all the action was taking place, Team Fu had made camp for the night. Fu, Shino and Kiba, who was accompanied by Akamaru, were asleep in their sleeping bags and Hinata had the current watch.<p>

The lavender eyed girl sat on a rock, staring up into the pale moonlight, lost in her thoughts. Once more, she thought back to the days before Naruto left on his training trip. The many times he'd helped her, knowingly or not, and the many opportunities she had to repay him, and how she failed to act on them time and time again.

Her thoughts strayed to the here and now; to the green haired girl sleeping just a short distance away back at their camp. It was her fault. She had stolen the blond from her, she was stealing her friends as well, and the blue haired girl knew they weren't going to help her win against the female Jinchuriki.

A vivid picture appeared in her mind, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it, of the look the two Jinchuriki shared with each other before they departed the village. Hinata could read the emotions displayed in their eyes as they gazed into each other's orbs after their kiss. She had no doubt the two were truly in love. She remembered how Naruto used to pursue Sakura. How no matter how hard he tried, she was always fixated on Sasuke. Realizing he must have experienced the same pain she was in now, she knew he would never allow someone else to experience it over him. This confirmed in her mind that he didn't know her own feelings and Hinata wondered how he would react. That line of thought and those possible outcomes brought her an odd combination of hope and trepidation. If she proved she was better than Fu and truly cared for him, would he choose to be with her instead? Or would he simply pity her and turn her down, shattering her heart in the process? Some part of her knew the latter possibility was far more likely, but she couldn't help but hold out a small sliver of hope.

As she continued to anguish over her situation, she realized that her shift was about to end. With a sigh, she returned to their camp. Stepping through the bushes, she saw she was nearest to her rival's place in the camp. Seeing her sleeping form brought back all the ill feelings from before. Her Byakugan activated, veins bulging around her eyes as she contemplated how easy it would be for her to sneak up on the sleeping Jinchuriki and…

Her eyes widened in horror as she realized what was going through her mind. '_Wha… what was I thinking?_' she asked herself in shock and slight revulsion, her hand covering her mouth. '_This isn't me… I would never… how could I even consider…?_' As her mind raced through her actions and she saw what her jealousy and anger were doing to her, she heard the sound of someone stirring and was snapped out of her thoughts.

She looked up to see Kiba sit up and rub his eyes with the back of his hand. Lying against his sleeping bag, Akamaru began to stir as well, the massive dog raising its head. "Hey, Hinata. Is it my shift already?"

The blue haired girl seemed hesitant for a moment, raising the Inuzuka's curiosity, before she nodded. Nodding back, Kiba rose out of bed and walked towards the edge of the camp, his loyal K-9 following him. Both glanced at Hinata before leaving.

As the Hyuuga heiress climbed into her own sleeping bag, Fu opened a single orange eye. Her insects had awoken her, sensing her killing intent, and she'd been aware of the entire affair. She had noticed the look of horror that had crossed Hinata's face and guessed at what had gone through her mind. She was somewhat glad to see the younger teen had snapped out of it. The special jonin could hear quiet, almost inaudible sobs from the girl's sleeping bag and felt a bit bad for her. She couldn't imagine how much it must hurt, to love someone and see him with someone else. Nor could she imagine being in the situation Hinata was in now.

Though she pitied the girl, Fu couldn't help but feel a slight sense of resentment towards her as well. The blue haired girl had apparently loved Naruto for a long time and yet had rarely interacted with him. How little the blond knew of the heiress was testament to that. As someone who had experienced the same hell of loneliness he had, the orange eyed kunoichi couldn't fathom caring about someone and leaving them alone in such misery as the Hyuuga had. It didn't help that the girl obviously still held some hope that she might be able to steal the blond from her, and she wasn't going to lose him, not to Hinata, any other girl or the Akatsuki.

She wondered what the chunin was like under normal circumstances. He may not have known her well, but what Naruto did have to say about the Hyuuga heiress had been good, aside from her being weird. Fu continued on with her thoughts as the other girl fell silent.

* * *

><p>Sora quickly made his way through the mountainous terrain, scanning the area as he sprung from surface to surface.<p>

"Huh?" Suddenly, the young ninja monk saw a mass of electricity up ahead, creating a beacon in the darkness of the night. "What's that?" Sora quickly bounded across the peaks before descending to the ground at the source of the lightning. It was on the very edge of the altered landscape. The forest that was once on the other side of the plains could be seen yards away. Waiting there for him at a small campfire was the leader of the grave robbers, Furido, sitting on a stone with his eyes closed, facing away from him. Sora's eyes narrowed as he regarded the man. "Who're you?"

"… You're Sora aren't you?" The white haired man turned his head slightly to look at the monk in training before turning back to the camp fire. "I've been waiting for you." Sora dropped into a combat stance, which the man seemed to notice despite looking away. "Just calm down and come over here, Sora."

"I won't ask again. Who are you? And how do you know my name? What are you scheming?" Sora said before he caught a scent on the wind. "What's that smell?"

Furido gave a hearty chuckle. "Here, I'll let you try one." He tossed something over his shoulder at the young monk, who instinctively caught it.

Sora jerked as he grabbed the object, finding it too hot to hold onto and briefly juggled it between his hands before it cooled enough to hold onto. He looked down and saw what it was. "A baked sweet potato?"

Furido gave another hearty laugh as he stood, turning to face him fully with a friendly smile, holding up another baked sweet potato. "I was getting tired of waiting. I got so bored I baked some sweet potatoes for myself." He said before taking a bite, obviously enjoying the morsel. "Sora, just come here, would you?"

Sora raised a brow. "You said you were waiting for me?"

The man disregarded his question. "Come on, you've gotta be hungry." He took another bite as Sora watched. After a moment, the ninja monk felt his stomach growl and reluctantly joined the man. He sat down across from him and waited a moment before taking a bite.

Sora smiled. "This _is _good." He admitted.

Furido grinned back. "See, I told you. Here, have some more." He held out another baked potato, but as Sora reached out his hand to take it, a gust of wind blew. Sora was downwind from Furido and the wind carried the man's scent to him. The teen was about to take another bite but stopped as he detected a very familiar scent coming from the scarred man.

Sora's expression became serious. "I smell something."

"Hm?" Furido raised a brow before smiling. "Of course, it's the smell of the baked potatoes you're eating." He gave another laugh.

"Not that." Sora replied. "It's the scent of soil from Lord Kitane's hidden tomb… which means you're the grave robber, you snake!" He summoned his triple bladed claw to his left hand and swiped, focusing wind chakra into the blade to extend its range. Furido vanished at the last moment, the wind from the blades leaving three long gashes on the ground and destroying the stone the man had been sitting on. Sora heard a jingling sound and saw a monk staff splitting apart into sections and moving towards him rapidly. Sora dodged to the side and the staff continued on its way and lodged itself in a boulder before retracting, pulling the rock along with it to its holder Furido, who destroyed it with a single punch. The leader of the band of rogues glared at the boy. "Bastard." Sora snarled.

"Why couldn't you just eat when you were served?" Furido asked in annoyance.

"Not going to happen. Now give back those four bodies or face your punishment."

Furido quirked a brow before laughing again. "My boy, I've been getting punished since the day I was born. Thing is, I never learned anything, nor have I died yet. So go ahead, do whatever you want, but you're just wasting your time."

Sora grinned as he held up his claw. "Fine, I guess I'll take you up on that!" the ninja monk charged forward, channeling wind chakra through his claw and brought it down on Furido in an overhead slash. Furido did the same with his staff and blocked his attacks. Sora attacked with a rapid succession of swipes with his claw, but Furido easily blocked or dodged every attack. Aside from a single counter attack, the man allowed himself to be on the defensive. Furido parried two slashes and ducked under a third before side stepping a kick. Sora skipped back out of range and channeled more chakra into his claw.

The man jumped back when Sora sent another wave of wind chakra at him and speared his staff forward, extending it again. Sora ducked and charged toward his opponent, ducking as the grave robber retracted his staff.

The blue haired boy stabbed with his claw only for Furido to catch it between the blades. The man lashed out with a kick but Sora spun around it, extending a blade of wind chakra from his right hand. Furido ducked to avoid the blade and jumped back to dodge when the boy followed up with a kick.

The teen shot forward and made more rapid swipes with his claw, to no avail. The man sidestepped every attack, not even bothering to block until Sora used another overhead slash. The young monk was growing frustrated; this reminded him of his spars against Naruto, Fu and the higher ranked monks. This man had him completely out classed and somewhere in the back of his mind, Sora knew it. He ducked when the man swung his staff again and spun in a sweeping kick, which Furido leapt over. He once again unleashed a wave of wind chakra from his claw, but Furido merely dodged back.

Furido's grin became wicked as he spun his staff over his head, creating a miniature tornado above him. "Here, let me show you a real gale!" he swept the weapon forward, disrupting the tornado and releasing a powerful gust of wind that sent the boy flying. Before he could recover, Furido was before him and landed a kick on Sora's chest, sending him flying into a boulder.

Sora slid to the ground and opened his eyes just in time to see the staff coming at him once again. He rolled out of the way before it impaled the boulder, reducing it to rubble before retracting.

The tanned man gave a superior smirk as he stabbed his staff into the ground and Sora glared at him. "Damn it… who is this guy?"

* * *

><p>Naruto threw several wind enhanced kunai at his opponent, who weaved her way around them, before engaging in hand to hand combat. Her elemental abilities made her dangerous at a range, even for him and coupled with her ability to move through stone, she was an extremely tricky opponent. It didn't help that he still hadn't figured out what happened when he stabbed her earlier.<p>

After throwing a kick which Fuka avoided, Naruto made a slash with his wind sword. Fuka ducked underneath the attack and attempted to sweep Naruto's legs out from under him, only for the blond to jump back.

Deciding it was time to take this up a notch; Naruto dismissed his wind sword and summoned Hisho Taichi. With a slash of his sword, he created a powerful whirlwind which Fuka leapt into the air to dodge. Naruto then summoned several shuriken to his free hand and channeled wind chakra into them before throwing them, the wind infused chakra extending from the blades and forming invisible circular saws.

Fuka twisted in mid air to dodge the metal stars, but one of the wind blades caught her on the right side, giving her a small cut. The maroon haired woman snarled as she ran through hand signs. "Water Style: Black Rain Jutsu!" a large black cloud formed, hovering in the air at the caverns ceiling before raining down oil, saturating the section of the cavern that lied before her, where her blond haired opponent was at. She once again unleashed a small fire stream to ignite the oil.

As she watched the raging inferno, the voluptuous kunoichi waited for Naruto to reappear. Her senses warned of a threat and she sunk into the ground, barely evading a cannonball sized air bullet.

Reappearing on the other side of the lingering flames, she formed three hand signs. "Wind Style: Scattering Flower Dance!" a cyclone of petals accompanied by a powerful gale formed before her and flew towards the blond. As the cyclone passed through the flames, the petals ignited and the flames were strengthened by the wind, forming a tornado of fire the rushed towards the blond.

Naruto slashed his sword as the flaming whirlwind approached. "Wind Cutter!"

Fuka's jaw dropped when she saw her cyclone divide in half and felt her control over it shatter. "What?" her eyes widened further as she saw the blond burst through the flames. She leant back to avoid an upward slash but her expression changed to one of horror when a lock of her hair was cut off.

The woman fell to the ground and Naruto moved to follow up his attack but stopped, staring in shock at an unexpected turn of events. Fuka's body shriveled up, her eyes bulging in her head. Her body shivered in this form for a few moments before turning to dust as she had when he'd impaled her earlier.

Naruto sensed Fuka's chakra behind him, noting it took another drop, and turned to her. Her face was contorted in rage as she took her hair in her hand, trembling in anger as she regarded the damage.

"How dare you… You damaged a woman's most precious possession." Fuka said as her eyes rose to the blond, glaring daggers at him. "And now you're going to pay!" she said before she vanished. Naruto extended his senses but couldn't detect her.

Fuka emerged on the surface, looking down from a stone pillar at the area where the underground cavern lied. She couldn't believe she'd lost two of her bodies to a kid, after he had the nerve to insult her beauty. Making a note to find this girl of his later, she made three hand signs. "Earth Style: Rock Breaker!"

Naruto's eyes widened as the cavern began collapsing. Looking up ceiling, which was rapidly crumbling away, he knew he didn't have enough time to reach the exit. Seeing large chunks of stone falling towards him, he resealed his sword and summoned a Giant Rasengan to his hand and leapt into the air.

An explosion of dust and debris could be seen from across the mountain range. At the center of the destruction, Naruto stood amongst a pile of rubble that had been the cave, hunched over before righting himself and looking up to the sky. Finally out in the open air, the chakra infused wind of his sensory jutsu swept over the artificial mountain. He closed his eyes as his senses extended to cover the entire area and he was finally able to find his teammates. Sakura was on her own with Shikamaru and Sai rapidly approaching her location. The special jonin's eyes snapped open when he sensed Sora was facing one of the enemies. Though his technique could paint a rough picture of what was happening, it couldn't tell him how the battle was going.

Suddenly, a jet of water tore through the ground, slicing through the stone as it sped towards the blond. Naruto jumped into the air to avoid the attack, the jet of water exploding outwards where he once stood. Sensing her appear behind him, he turned to see her grinning at him, before suddenly, her eyes widened, her irises and pupils shrinking to give her a deranged, insane look while her hair whipped around and her canines elongated into fangs. The Jinchuriki suddenly found himself unable to move, looking down shakily, his legs seemed to turn to stone. "Wha… what? A paralysis jutsu?"

Fuka chuckled. "Well, well, look at that. I guess you're not such hot stuff after all." She said as she began to saunter over to him. "Don't worry, despite how much you've pissed me off, you'll still get that kiss… and once you do, your soul will be mine."

Fuka reached the struggling teen and placed a hand on his face as she prepared to kiss him, only for 'Naruto' to burst into smoke.

The grave robber turned to see a powerful cyclone, tearing a path through the ground and heading straight for her at a rapid pace. All she could do was raise her arms in defense and brace herself before the horizontal twister slammed into her. She cried out in pain within the funnel of wind as her body was torn into and was driven through the stone. Finally, the twister let up and Fuka was left, lying at the end of the path of destruction it caused, the front of her body was covered in slightly bleeding cuts and bruises and her cloths dirtied. She was thankful her hair was left undamaged, even if it was completely messed up.

The voluptuous kunoichi raised herself on her hands with a grimace before noting the special jonin was no where in sight. Her eyes widened and she jumped back, the blond's hands shooting out of the ground where her feet had been a moment later.

Naruto rose out of the shattered ground, a smirk on his face as he met Fuka's glare before she made a single hand sign. "Water Style: Surface Slicer!" another jet of water shot forward, the blond jumped into the air again to dodge. Shock was evident on his features when his gaze returned to the maroon haired woman and he saw all the damage from the windstorm and the dirt on her clothing had vanished, though oddly, her hair was still in the same state, as she ran through more hand signs. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

* * *

><p>Sakura walked through the rocky landscape. After recovering from her fight, she set off and eventually found her way out of the cave. Moving hastily in a terrain controlled by the enemy would be foolish, especially considering how easily she was located earlier, so she settled for a steady pace as she searched for her teammates.<p>

She jerked to a stop as she became aware of a presence behind her and turned to see a giant spider landing a few yards away. Opening its mouth, the spider let loose a barrage of poisoned needles. Sakura dodged them and prepared to counter when three exploding kunai rained down, two dug into the spider's legs and one into its back before they detonated, spraying green blood everywhere and killing the creature.

Sakura looked in the direction the kunai came from and saw the Nara clan heir. "Shikamaru."

"Hey." The lazy chunin said. "You probably could have handled that on your own easily, but we're kind of in a hurry." He said before Sai walked up. Sakura looked slightly surprised when she saw his arm before she rushed over to him.

"What happened?"

"We were fighting a troublesome woman who could control this terrain. We almost had her when we got blind sided by this guy with some earth element armor." Shikamaru explained.

"I managed to distract him, with my ink constructs and pierced his armor with my tanto, but he retaliated and injured my arm before we escaped." Sai finished.

"I fought that guy." Sakura frowned as she undid the bandages holding the splint to Sai's arm. "My attacks couldn't get through, so I poisoned him. He must have been looking for help from his ally." She looked slightly down when she realized this.

"Not your fault." Shikamaru assured her. "Anyway, how is it? I'm not exactly a medic."

Sakura placed a glowing green hand on Sai's injury. "… It's not as bad as I thought. The poison weakened his blow. We can help mend the bone, but he still won't be able to perform his duties for a week at the least." Sai would have made a comment about one of his books, but remembering what Naruto told him and Shikamaru's statement that he shouldn't mention he found such things in books, decided not to make such a remark.

* * *

><p>Sora was sent flying once again, slamming into the ground with a grunt of pain. He lay there on his back for a few moments before sitting up and glaring at the man who put him there.<p>

The leader of the band of rogues causally looked down at him with a grin. "What's wrong? Already giving up?"

Sora got back on his feet, hunched over and breathing heavily. "No way in hell!" with a swipe of his hand, Sora sent out a Beast Wave Palm. Furido ducked under the glowing blade of chakra and sidestepped two swipes from Sora before kicking him in the chest and sending him staggering back.

"You've got spunk." Furido said before clawing his hand. Chakra glowed at his fingertips and the kanji for the five elements appearing. The scarred man slammed his hand into Sora's stomach, wordlessly using the Five Elements Unseal on the teen. Sora cried out in pain before collapsing on the ground. Kazuma looked at the young monk. "But I think it's about time you stopped playing around and showed me your true power." Furido slammed the top of his staff on Sora's claw, breaking the blades to pieces. "Let's try this again, without your little toy." After watching Sora lay motionlessly on the ground for a few moments, the man turned away. "Guess not." He said as he began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Sora growled, gritting his teeth as he rose to his feet. A strange feeling was coursing through his being, energizing him. He'd never felt such power. He rose his bandaged right hand and looked at it as the strange power seemed to center on it. Suddenly, his arm began to spasm and convulse before the bandages burst into pieces, revealing his arm had transformed into red, demonic claw covered in small spikes. An expression of horror crossed his face as he examined his arm. Furido grinned as he saw his arm change. "Wha… what is this?... But… This feeling." He turned on his adversary. "You wanted to see my power? Well take a good look!"

The white haired man's grin widened. "Now that's what I was talking about."

* * *

><p>Naruto dodged a fire jutsu from Fuka when his eyes shot open, as he sensed Sora's chakra skyrocket. But there was something more, the familiar chakra he had sensed before was now coursing through Sora in large amounts. The blond Jinchuriki's eyes were wide with disbelief as he recognized the chakra and turned to look in the direction the monk was in. '<em>What… what is this? This is…<em>'

Inside Naruto's seal, the Kyuubi had a similarly shocked expression as he sat up and looked to the ceiling of his cage, sensing the chakra from the ninja monk resonate with him. '_**What?...This is… My chakra? How?**_' He began running through all the events that could have resulted in enough chakra being left behind to be used in such a manner, as the only two he could recall who had successfully stolen his chakra, something that aggravated him to this day, were long dead. He then recalled his attack on Konoha and how much of it he couldn't remember. His next thought was the legendary battle between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. Sure, almost everyone from that time was dead, but the chakra could have been transferred, like the Biju through Jinchuriki. As he recounted the events that could have led to this, he soon decided it didn't matter. The fox gave a malicious smirk as he began thinking of what this could lead to.

* * *

><p>The leader of the rogue ninja smirked as he examined the teens' arm. "Yes, that's more like it… but it's still incomplete." The wind begins to pick up, visible swirling around Sora's demonic arm as he uses this new power to fuel his control of the element. "Looks like your finally taking this seriously."<p>

"Save it." Sora held up his claw, visible wisps of chakra combining with the wind.

"Now that's some wind." Furido said as he spun his staff over his head, creating another tornado, this one visible above the mountain tops. As the tornado moved towards Sora, he channeled as much of his new power into his arm as he could and countered.

"Beast Wave Gale Palm!" The two wind attacks collided and struggled for dominance before the resulting hurricane consumed the area.

* * *

><p>Naruto's eyes narrowed as he sensed Sora's chakra fall, signaling that his power had receded and putting his current condition into question. He bit his lip as his mind raced through everything he knew about the situation. It didn't take a genius to realize that Sora was their target.<p>

He would have to have a chat with his tenant on how some of his chakra wound up inside Sora later. Right now, his main concern was reaching the blue haired monk. The only reason someone would seal the chakra of a Biju into someone else was to turn them into a weapon, and if they knew to look and how to draw it out, chances were, it was these grave robbers who were responsible for it.

The Jinchuriki had also noticed something odd: his opponent had broken from her attack pattern and stopped using both the lightning and wind elements all together.

Naruto slashed his sword through the air in rapid succession, creating numerous blades of wind that flew towards the female grave robber, who weaved around them, before throwing several kunai bearing explosive tags.

The maroon haired woman out of range of the explosions, made two hand signs as she dodged and placed her hand to her mouth as the blond landed. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Naruto watched her breath out a massive orb of fire and sunk into the ground, the fireball passing harmlessly where he had once been.

A blade of wind tore through the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust as it made its way to the grave robber. Fuka dodged it but her eyes widened in shock when Naruto shot out of the cloud in a blur of motion, an orb of chakra in his right hand. "Rasengan!"

Fuka cried out in agony as the orb slammed into her stomach, tearing her cloths and digging into her flesh deeply enough to draw blood. She coughed up more of the red fluid before being sent flying. She crashed into a stone wall hard enough to imbed herself into it before her body once more turned to dust.

Sensing her, Naruto was shocked to see her once again covered in cuts and scrapes, the same ones from when she was caught in his cyclone. The woman snarled as she ran through hand signs. "Water Style: Surface Slicer!" Another jet of water tore through the ground towards the blond, who jumped into the air to avoid it as Fuka finished a second technique. "Water Style: Mouth of the Serpent!" Water erupted from the ground around him and sped towards the blond Uzumaki, forming into a serpent, its mouth open to devour him.

Naruto inhaled deeply, swelling his chest with the pressure before breathing out a stream of wind, propelling himself to away from and around the serpent and to the ground. Naruto smirked at Fuka.

"So, that's it." the blond said. "That's how you've been using all the elements and how you've been healing so quickly. You've got multiple bodies; each one has a different affinity. You can switch between them so quickly you can combine the elements, and if the one you inhabit is destroyed, you can just switch to another. If you've got one body for each element, then you've only got two left now." Fuka's expression grew darker at the blond's explanation. "But that's not all. I can't figure out why, but it looks like your hair is important to whatever twisted jutsu you're using. If I damage it, your body dies." Fuka's expression changed to one of horror, telling the young special jonin he was right. His face fell into a grim look as he finished his explanation. "Which means targeting it is the easiest way to end this." Naruto then summoned a clone which ran through hand signs. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" The clone called out before he placed his hand to his mouth and breathed out several fire balls. Naruto drew his fist back before throwing it forward, "Wind Style: Whirlwind Fist!" the punch released a giant whirlwind which caught the fire balls, the flames grew within the maelstrom until it resulted in a tornado of fire that roared towards Fuka.

Fuka's face twisted into a sneer, easily recognizing he was hoping to catch her hair on fire, as she sunk into the ground. She rose out of the stone on a plateau overlooking the blond. She couldn't continue to fight him in her current condition now that he'd figured out her trick. "Alright, so you figured out my secrets. You win for now, but this isn't over!" Fuka declared before she vanished.

The blond's eyes narrowed as he sensed her presence disappear back underground. He stayed on guard for a few moments until he was confident she'd truly fled. Naruto made a cross shaped hand sign and created a shadow clone before turning in the direction of the monk in training and the leader of the grave robbers, his form shot forward in a burst of speed, blurring out of sight as he quickly made his way to the target of the trap. His clone did the same, heading in the direction of their teammates.

* * *

><p>Sakura, Sai and Shikamaru had broken into a full run as they traversed the desolate landscape.<p>

"Come on, we've gotta find the others." Sakura said.

Sai's eyes turned to the pink haired kunoichi. "You're worried about them?"

Sakura nodded. "I'm a little worried even though Naruto can handle himself, but I'm really concerned about Sora. He seems a lot like Naruto was before he left; the type to rush in without thinking."

Shikamaru gave her a tired glance. "I noticed that too. I had hoped that I wouldn't have to worry about something like that after Naruto's change, but someone else just took his place in that regard."

"Guys, you alright?" A familiar voice called out. The group turned to see Naruto leaping down the rock walls towards them.

"Naruto." Sakura looked slightly relieved.

"Nope, just a shadow clone." Naruto's eyes swept over the group, it was obvious from a glance that Sakura and Sai had been in a fight. He resisted the urge to wince when he saw Sai's arm was splinted and knew one of his friends had been seriously injured on his watch. Shikamaru didn't seem injured in the slightest, but his battles tended to be more cerebral, so that wasn't saying much. "I take it you each met the enemy?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Sakura fought a master of the earth element who had an earth style armor technique while I fought this troublesome woman who was controlling this terrain somehow. Sakura poisoned her opponent and Sai came to help me. When we almost had her, Sakura's opponent intervened, probably looking for help with the poison. He broke Sai's arm and we had to abandon our plan and escape." Naruto's eyes narrowed. "What about you?" The Nara asked him.

"I fought this woman who had multiple bodies, tried to seduce me to steal my soul and could use all five elements." The blond said matter-of-fact-ly. All three of them gave him an odd look. "We can go into detail about our fights later, we have a serious problem."

Sakura looked slightly worried. "Is it about Sora?"

"Yeah, it looks like whoever he was fighting was waiting for him. That power I mentioned earlier? The one that caused the other monks to despise him? I sensed him draw it out. I'm not sure what his status is, but he's with one of our enemies right now."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "If they knew about his power, were able to draw it out and had someone specifically waiting for him, then that can only mean…"

Sakura's eyes widened. "Sora's their target?"

The clone nodded, "They got us. I don't know what they plan to do with Sora, but we need to get there now."

* * *

><p>Sora slowly began to stir from his place on the ground. His eyes opened and he struggled to sit up, the power he felt was gone and most of his body was sore. He managed to get into a sitting position and placed a hand on his aching head, grimacing. "Such pain." His eyes shot open and he looked around. "Wait, where did that old guy go?" A look of pure shock crossed his face as he realized that he was sitting in the center of a huge crater, littered with the rubble of the mountains. "What… what happened here?"<p>

"It was your power." A familiar voice said from behind him. The monk looked over his shoulder to see Furido standing over him. "When you tried to repel my jutsu, you released an amazing power, and it scarred the landscape. It's what I wanted you to see, your true power."

Sora looked at his right hand, which had reverted to normal. "That was… my true power?"

"Exactly. You're fortunate to possess such a power, and it isn't even fully developed yet. You could be a hundred times stronger. Such a power would be wasted at your temple. Which is why you need to consider how you're going to use it."

Sora turned back to the scarred man and scoffed. "And what makes you think I'll listen to you?"

"So you'll use your power selfishly, using it as you see fit? Or maybe, you could think beyond your home and yourself, and use it for the good of the Land of Fire." Furido smiled. "I'm not the most trustworthy fellow, but the four people who were interred in the hidden tombs fought for and gave their lives for the Land of Fire. I wonder if they'd be as quick to punish me if they knew I wanted to use them for the same cause."

"What do you mean 'for the good'?" Sora asked.

"Just that. I intend to use their power for the sake of this great land."

Sora stood and turned to the white haired man, who gave a warm smile. "The last time I saw you, I was holding you as a baby." Sora gave a slight gasp of surprise from that. "You see, I knew your father."

Before Sora could respond, Furido suddenly spun around and raised his staff, chanelling his chakra through it, just in time to block a downward slash from Naruto. "Naruto." Sora yelled, surprised by the blond's sudden appearance. He jumped back as the grave robber and the special jonin engaged each other in close range combat before locking their weapons. They pushed against each other for a few moments before skipping backwards.

With a slash of his sword, Naruto unleashed a powerful whirlwind which sped towards the missing nin, carving a path through the ground. Furido responded by spinning his staff above his head to create a tornado around him. The two cyclones collided, unleashing a wave of wind which had Sora covering his eyes. When the attacks faded, Furido was standing in the center of a small crater, meeting the blond's glare with his own. Before the encounter could continue, a wall of earth rose from the ground, separating them. The leader of the criminals turned to see Fuka and Fuen join him.

"Where's Fudo?" their leader inquired with a raised brow.

"He was poisoned and I've yet to come up with a proper antidote. It seems we underestimated our adversaries." Fuen said. "There are reinforcements coming this way. I'm afraid we can't afford to stay any longer."

Furido looked slightly displeased but nodded. "This was enough anyway. Let's go."

Naruto and Sora stared at the stone wall as their teammates joined them. "Who was that guy?" Sora wondered before staring at his right hand again.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Naruto and Chiriku sat across from each other on cushions in the same area he had conversed with their team in earlier that night. They had just finished reviewing everything that had occurred, though the blond had not yet mentioned the events surrounding Sora.<p>

Chiriku sighed. "So, in the end, the bodies of my fellow Guardians wound up in the hands of this band of criminals." He said, slightly lamentingly.

"Don't worry, we'll find them. I gave you my word they wouldn't get away with this." Naruto assured him

Chiriku smiled. "And you never go back on your word. You have my thanks."

The Jinchuriki's eyes narrowed as he looked to the ground. "Don't thank me. I shouldn't have let them get away the first time." He then looked up at the head monk. "Anyway, you're probably wondering why I wanted to speak to you in private."

Chiriku nodded. "Yes, I was curious what you wished to discuss with me apart from the others."

"Well, you know that Sai was injured and won't be able to continue with his duties until he heals. I was wondering if Sora could come to Konoha with us and fill in for him."

The former Guardian Ninja's expression became serious. "If that was all, we wouldn't be having a private conversation."

Naruto sighed. "You're right. During our encounter with the enemy, Sora drew on his dormant power. You know I'm a sensor. I was able to tell what it was."

Chiriku's eyes narrowed. "And it was?"

Naruto's expression turned grim. "The same power I have sealed inside me… the Kyuubi's power."

Chiriku's eyes went wide. "…But… how can that be?"

"It must have bee sealed inside of him. Lord Chiriku, you know there's only one reason someone would seal the chakra of a Biju into someone."

Chiriku closed his eyes. "Yes… the sealing of a Biju is done partly to create a weapon and partly to protect the village from the Biju's power, but something like this… the only reason one would do this is to create a weapon."

"And if they knew about it and were able to draw it out, these grave robbers are probably the culprits." Naruto finished the explanation. "Fu and I, as well as Lady Tsunade, are seal masters and Jiraiya is one of the best in the Elemental Countires. I'm hoping we can find a way to either remove this power from him or help him control it."

"Either way, he would have to return to your village. And you are better prepared to defend him should they return. Very well, I agree. Should Sora agree as well, he will return to Konoha with you."

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><p><strong>Hope you liked it. Please review.<strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey, here's chapter 17. Sorry it took so long, but I've been a bit busy. Also, I've been revising the romance scenes in chapters 6 and 7. Tell me what you think of the new versions.**

**I've recently decided on a way for Madara and Tobi to be separate characters, but I can't decide what to go with, so I'll ask you. Should Tobi be the real Madara or whoever he is in canon?**

**I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>Team Naruto, accompanied by Sora, arrived at the front gates of Konoha. Sora whistled at the sight. While they weren't as impressive as the gates of the temple he called home, they were far larger.<p>

"So, this is Konoha, huh?" Sora said, standing with his hands behind his head. "Che, 'village', yeah right. I haven't left the temple much, but I've seen towns half this size."

"Well, I've heard Konoha has the greatest population among the ninja villages, but all major villages are like this. Even most of the minor ones are larger than most towns." Shikamaru commented.

Naruto turned to Sora as they stepped into the village. "Come on. We need to see the Hokage, and then I'll show you around." The monk glanced at the blond whose expression turned serious. "And Sora, listen closely, I know you've got a problem with authority and respect, but don't insult her, in any way, understand?"

Sora scoffed. "Relax, I'll be sure to pay my respects."

* * *

><p>Fu stood before Tsunade in her office, Shizune standing to the side. After arriving in Konoha, her team separated and she went to deliver her report to their leader. She had just finished giving the slug Sannin their findings.<p>

"So, you found no evidence of the culprits aside from the symbol of Ame?" Tsunade inquired.

Fu shook her head. "No. And along the way back we heard that other villages along the border were attacked in the same way. We investigated another nearby village and found the same thing. All we know is that there were four attackers. They could have actually been loyal to Ame, or they could be trying to provoke a war or distract us. Speaking of them, do you have any word from Ame?"

"None…" Tsunade said, her eyes narrowed. "Although, we do have reason to suspect they're involved with the Akatsuki, we don't have any evidence to support those beliefs yet."

"Do you know anyone who would be trying to start a conflict between our nations?" Fu asked.

"Only one. Someone close to home, too." Tsunade replied.

"Danzo?" Fu guessed.

The Hokage nodded before her gaze shifted to her first apprentice. "Dispatch a reconnaissance team of jonin and ANBU to investigate the border. Since we don't know the situation, their mission is to be kept secret. Make sure to tell them their mission is strictly observation right now, so they're not to engage. I'll personally report the situation to the Daimyo."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

"Fu, you and your team are on standby for now. You're dismissed." Fu nodded and walked out.

She took ten steps away from the door when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind. She briefly tensed, before the familiar and comforting presence and scent of the one holding her washed over, bringing a warm smile to her face as she placed her hands over the ones on her stomach. "Naruto."

The girl turned her head to see her boyfriend's face, giving her a smile to match her own, before turning her whole body in his arms. The pair stared into each other's orbs for a moment, both seeing the longing they had for each other as Naruto raised his right hand and cupped her cheek, before closing their eyes and bringing their lips together, sharing a gentle but passionate kiss, enjoying the taste of each other. Naruto's right arm rejoined his left at her waist and pulled her to him while she wrapped her arms around his neck, their bodies pressing together as they held each other close. After a few moments, they pulled their faces away from each other. Naruto gave her a warm smile. "I've missed doing this."

"You can say that again." Fu whispered while placing her forehead to his. The orange eyed Jinchuriki ran her hand through his hair. "We should do more missions together, otherwise I might get lonely and may have to hunt you down."

Naruto chuckled, smirking as he said, "Trust me; you're not the only one thinking that way. Guess we'll just have to make up for lost time, won't we?" he smirked, prompting a giggle in response. "Did you just get back?" he asked her.

"That's right, I just gave my report. Talk about perfect timing, huh?"

"Yeah. Oh, take a look who came with us." The blond gestured behind him. Tilted her head over his shoulder, her gaze falling over Naruto's team. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the ninja monk.

"Sora?"

"Hey, long time no see." Sora greeted.

"It's good to see you, but why…" Fu began before seeing Sai's arm. She turned to the blond and noticed a dejected expression briefly crossed his features as he followed her gaze to the injury before it was gone.

"A lot happened on the mission. Much as I hate to say it, we blew it. Sai was injured, so Sora's going to be helping us until we've caught the culprits. There's more, but I have to give my report. Grandma will probably chew me out if I keep her waiting." Fu nodded and they broke their embrace. She watched as her fellow Jinchuriki stepped into the office.

"So, you guys had a tough time, I take it?" Fu questioned, turning back to the group.

Shikamaru sighed. "You don't know the half of it. That was the most troublesome mission I've been on since the botched mission to bring back Sasuke." Shikamaru was slightly surprised when the green haired girl glared at him and quirked a brow as if to say 'What?' To answer his unvoiced question, Fu averted her gaze and the lazy chunin followed her line of sight until he saw what had angered her. He and Sora sweat dropped when they saw Sakura sitting on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest with a cloud of gloom over her head, muttering 'Sasuke…'. "Oops…"

Fu decided to change the subject and turned to the young monk. "Sora, how's life at the temple been?"

"Eh, same old, same old. Glad to be away from the place, but the reason I'm here pisses me off." The monk in training's hands clenched at the thought. "I still can't believe they got away with those bodies."

Fu's eyes hardened. "So, they were after the remains in the hidden tombs, just like we were afraid of."

Sora looked out the window with a frustrated expression. "Yeah, it was already over by the time we moved. They desecrated Lord Kitane, Lord Nauma, Lady Tou and Lord Seito's graves before we even had a chance to stop them."

The Jinchuriki's eyes widened slightly. "The deceased Guardian Ninja?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah. Asuma-sensei's not going to take this lying down."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Naruto was in the midst of giving his report.<p>

"And in the end, the bodies of Kitane, Nauma, Tou and Seito, the guardians who put down the coup, were stolen."

Tsunade closed her eyes in thought. "I see."

"Sorry. We arrived too late. The thieves had powerful earth style jutsu that caught us completely off guard."

Shizune put a hand on her chin. "What could they want with the bodies of the four guardians? Unless they want the secrets of the jutsu that was buried with them. If those jutsu spread to other lands, the results could be disastrous for us."

The blonde woman sat back in her chair and hummed in thought. "… Naruto. You said there were four grave robbers, correct?"

The Jinchuriki nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Aside from the one I sent Fu to investigate, several other villages along the border have been attacked. All Fu and her team managed to find out about the attackers, was that they were a group of four."

"You think it's the same guys? It would be a pretty strange coincidence if they weren't."

"Exactly what I was thinking, it might have been a distraction so they could move more easily. We'll still investigate the villages just to be sure, but it seems the grave robbers are our best suspects." Tsunade replied.

The special jonin spoke up. "There's more. Sai was injured during the battle and we brought a friend of mine who helped us during the mission, a monk in training named Sora to help us." His closed his eyes as he thought of his real reason for bringing him there. "That was just an excuse for bringing him here, though."

Tsunade's expression turned quizzical. "Go on."

"As you know, the grave robbers set a trap for us. They let us see the coffins moving across a large plain and used an extremely powerful earth technique to turn the entire area into a mountain range littered with caverns that at least one of them had total control over. My team and I were scattered during the upheaval."

Tsunade seemed slightly surprised while Shizune was outright shocked. "What? I've never heard of earth jutsu that advanced outside of Iwa, and those are rare." The brunette said.

"Same here." Naruto replied.

The Hokage's eyes narrowed. "So, they were targeting one of your team? Were they involved with the Akatsuki after all?"

"I don't think so." Naruto answered. "I wasn't the target, Sora was. When Sora was a kid, there was an event where he manifested a strange power. It was strong enough to kill or injure all the monks at the temple and tear down its sealed gates. During the battle, the grave robbers drew out this power and I was able to sense it."

Tsunade nodded. "And it was…"

"The Kyuubi's chakra." Naruto answered. Both women were taken aback by the revelation.

"What?" Shizune gasped. "But… how is that possible?"

"I see." Tsunade's expression became deadly serious. "A fragment of the Kyuubi's chakra must have been sealed inside him. This isn't the first time something like this has happened."

"Are you talking about two ninja from Kumo?" Naruto inquired.

Tsunade gave him a curious look. "Yes. A pair of brothers who managed to steal enough of the Kyuubi's chakra to enter tailed forms, turning them into what's known as Pseudo-Jinchuriki. But, how do you know about them?"

Naruto began recounting a conversation he had with his tenant.

_(Flashback)_

_Naruto appeared in the sewer that was his mindscape. He had just finished his conversation with Chiriku and was in his room for the night. He walked through the ankle deep water until he found himself before the cage of the Kyuubi. The beast was lying down, resting his head on his folded arms._

"_**So, you've finally come.**" The beast spoke._

_"I figured you'd know what was going on. Even if you were asleep, your chakra would have woken you up." Naruto stated._

_"**I assume you wish to know how it is that some of my power now resides in that young monk.**" The Fox guessed and Naruto nodded. "**Do you expect me to be able to answer that? From your own use of my chakra, you should know that it alone is powerful enough to scar the landscape. It's rarely worth the effort of making use of my other powers. You're also aware of how it poisons my victims. It lingers in the landscape in the same way. It would dissipate on its own given enough time, unless someone gathered and sealed it, which is what most likely happened here. The most recent event that where enough of my chakra was left behind to be worth anything was, of course, the day you were born.**" Naruto frowned. "**Before that was the battle between Madara Uchiha and your first Hokage.**" The Fox's eyes narrowed at the memory of that battle. "**Anyone from that time would be dead, but the chakra could have changed hands.**"_

_"You said 'Most likely'." Naruto pointed out._

_The Kyuubi snarled. "**Before my battle with Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, a pair of Kumo ninja attempted to capture me. They most likely wanted to turn one of their ninja into my host.**" Kyuubi smirked. "**However, they learned the hard way I wasn't so easy to defeat, let alone capture. I defeated and devoured them both. Yet they escaped and acquired a portion of my chakra. They're both no longer alive, but the chakra could have been extracted from them and preserved.**"_

"_Wait, if you ate them then how'd they escape?" Naruto asked._

_The Fox let out a dark chuckle. "**Where does all eaten food eventually end up?**"_

_Naruto's eyes widened before a disgusted look crossed his face and he shuddered from the images that put in his mind. He had seen and heard many things that he found disgusting and unpleasant, but this definitely took first place. "That's not funny, and if that were the case then they wouldn't have survived." Naruto wondered if there was something embarrassing the Kyuubi was leaving out._

_The Kyuubi growled in annoyance at his hosts doubts. He was going to hate reviving this memory. "**They survived by eating the flesh from my stomach until I threw them up weeks later. As soon as they were out, they retreated back to Kumo before I could kill them and reclaim my stolen chakra.**"_

_Naruto's jaw dropped from the story before he began laughing. "Wow, the great Kyuubi no Kitsune couldn't keep down his lunch? What's the matter, got butterflies in your stomach?"_

_The Kyuubi snarled at his container's amusement at his expense. "**Silence!**" The blond paid him no heed and he continued for a few moments before quieting down, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. "**Are you done?**"_

_Naruto looked up into the fox's eyes, grinning. "Yeah, for now." The Fox glared down at the blond. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm sure you've had some laughs at my expense over the years."_

_The fox smirked. "**Well, your kiss with the Uchiha certainly was a sight. Are you sure you aren't lying to yourself and the Nanabi's host?**"_

Naruto had begun gagging halfway through the beast's statement and now seemed to be on the verge of throwing up. After getting himself under control and taking a moment to breathe, Naruto threw the Fox a scathing look. "That was a low blow. There was no need to bring that awful memory up."

"_**You started with this foolishness, brat! You think I would just take it?**" The Fox snarled. "**Back to the matter at hand, if you want to find out for certain how your friend came into possession of my chakra, you would have to find that scarred grave robber and force him to tell you. But in the end, what does it matter?**" The Fox moved forward, his crimson orbs burning into the blond. "**Boy, I want my chakra back. I don't know if it's the chakra that was stolen from me by those two Kumo ninja, but even if it isn't I still want it back. Not to mention it would be better off with me than if it was used for whatever those grave robbers are planning.**"_

_Naruto raised a brow. "Why do you want it back? It's the same as if you expended the chakra normally, right?"_

"_**It will be useful against Madara. That aside, I detest having someone who isn't my host using my power.**" Both of these facts were true, but the demon neglected to mention the main reason he wanted that chakra back._

"_I'm not just going to take it from Sora." The blond said, his eyes narrowed as he regarded the Kyuubi. The fox growled but before he could respond, Naruto continued. "What would happen to Sora if I extracted your chakra?"_

_The fox glared at the blond briefly before he closed his eyes. "**I don't know… to my knowledge, this would be the first time one would attempt an extraction from someone who merely possess a fragment of our power.**"_

_"Exactly, we don't know what would happen or how much damage it would do. I'm not going to potentially kill him to get some of your power back. Look, if Sora agrees and it can be done safely, I'll get your chakra back for you, alright?"  
><em>

_The fox sighed, aware that the blond wouldn't hurt someone for power, neither for the fox or himself, let alone a friend. Though it annoyed him in this situation, that conviction was one of the things he had come to respect in the blond. He knew that was the best he was getting from his host. "**… Very well.**"_

_(End Flashback)_

Tsunade looked pensive at the end of the story. "Well, that's true. There have never been any attempts at extracting a Pseudo-Jinchuriki's chakra as far as I know. Not surprising, considering they're so rare. In fact, aside from those two: Kumo's Gold and Silver Brothers, this is the only confirmed case of a Pseudo-Jinchuriki I've heard of." The Hokage leaned forward in her chair. "So, you brought him here to attempt to extract his chakra."

The blond nodded. "Or try to teach him to control it, depending on what he wants and if the chakra can be extracted safely. More importantly, we're better equipped to protect him."

The slug Sannin sighed. "True. For all we know they could plan on using him against the village. If their jutsu is as advanced as you've said, they could easily take him from the Fire Temple. And let's not even get started on the threat of Akatsuki. If they learn he possesses part of the Kyuubi's chakra, they may try to kidnap him as well. I agree with your decision."

"Thanks, Grandma Tsunade."

Tsunade chose to ignore the nickname. "From what you've said, I'd guess you haven't told him yet."

The blue eyed Jinchuriki shook his head. "I was going to wait until we were back at the compound."

"Fine. I assume you're going to inform Fu and examine him together? Be sure to inform me of your findings." After the special jonin gave an affirmative, the Sannin continued. "Alright, bring in your team. I want to see this monk."

"Before that, can I ask you something?" Naruto inquired. Tsunade looked curious before giving him the 'go ahead'. "Well, during the ambush, I was attacked by a woman who had this vile chakra. It reminded me of Orochimaru's. I was wondering what causes that."

Tsunade quirked a brow before sitting back in her chair and lacing her fingers together in front of her. "Well, although I'm not a sensor, I can answer that. As you know, most kinjutsu are labeled so either because they're self destructive, defy the laws of nature or are simply evil in nature. There are many kinjutsu of the latter category that empower the user or prolong their lives, my former teammate's reincarnation technique being a prime example. Such techniques corrupt the chakra of the user, giving it a disgusting, tainted feeling." The Hokage explained to her fellow blond. "I assume she was using such a technique."

Naruto frowned at that. "Yeah. She used a technique to steal the bodies of others and altered them to look like her own. In doing so, not only did she gain spare bodies, but she could also use the nature affinity of her victim, letting her master all five elements. Though if she loses a body, she seems to lose the ability to use the corresponding element entirely."

Both the medical ninja seemed slightly scandalized by that. "… That sounds similar to Orochimaru's technique. Perhaps even more dangerous since he can't keep the bodies he discards. It seems these grave robbers are more dangerous than we first assumed, even factoring in their successful theft of the guardians bodies." Tsunade stated, pausing for a moment before continuing. "If that's all, then bring in your team. I want to hear the reports on their battles as well."

* * *

><p>Outside, Fu was talking to Naruto's team about their mission. She had been surprised to hear the enemy has such powerful jutsu under their control.<p>

"Hey, guys. Come on in, you too Sora." Naruto called out from the Hokage's office.

They all looked to the door and Sakura turned to her teammates. "You heard him, let's hurry before Lady Tsunade gets irritated."

The group started walking to the office until Fu gave the monk a serious look and spoke up. "Sora, a word of advice, don't say anything that might provoke the Hokage."

Sora scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, Naruto said the same thing."

Fu's expression changed to a smile, one that made the blue haired teen nervous. "Did he happen to mention that she's known for her temper and is physically strong enough to send you flying 50 miles with a single punch?"

Sora paled and shivered slightly. "N- no, he didn't mention that. I'll keep it in mind from now on."

"Good."

* * *

><p>After the meeting was over and the young monk was welcomed into the village, Team Naruto along with Sora and Fu stood outside the administration building.<p>

"We should get going. I have to take Sai to the hospital to tend to his arm." Sakura said.

"We're going to show Sora around the village." Naruto stated. "Shikamaru, want to come?"

"Nah, I should go see Asuma-sensei. He'll want to hear about this." The Nara replied.

Sora raised a brow. "Asuma? Who's he and why would he be interested?"

Naruto snapped his fingers. "Oh, that's right, I forgot to mention. Asuma is Shikamaru's sensei and a former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja." Sora's eyes widened at that. "We'll have to introduce you to him later."

"Hey, wait. Where am I going to stay?" Sora inquired.

Fu turned to the young monk. "I thought it would be obvious, you're going to stay with us."

The blue haired teen looked quizzically at the female Jinchuriki. "Naruto told me you got a new place, but you sure there's enough room?"

Fu's gaze met Naruto's and both smirked. She then turned back to Sora, still smirking as she replied, "Oh, don't worry. There's plenty of room, you'll see."

"Don't you have to write reports?" Shikamaru asked the pair of Jinchuriki.

Fu's smirk widened. "Yeah, but it doesn't need to be 'us' who writes them. Yet another benefit of the Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Shikamaru sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing the back of his head. "You know, maybe I should learn that too. Then I can spend more time watching clouds."

Fu laughed. "No offence, Shikamaru, but if you made a shadow clone, it would probably be just as lazy as you."

Naruto joined Fu in laughter as he visualized Shikamaru creating an equally lazy, insubordinate clone. Sakura covered her mouth before letting out a giggle and Sora smirked and gave a short laugh while Sai showed no sense of humor.

Shikamaru simply let out another sigh. "You're probably right. And getting into an argument with myself would be too troublesome. Well, I'm off." He said, turning and walking away from the group, waving at them without turning around.

"We should get going too. See you later." Sakura gave a farewell before she and Sai headed off to the hospital.

"See you." Naruto said before turning to the ninja monk with a grin. "Well, come on Sora. There's a lot to see."

The young couple spent the next half hour showing Sora around the village. The young monk in training had to admit it was a nice place. The dark blue haired teen also felt an odd sense of ease being there. He supposed it was because it was the first time he was around a large group of people without anyone giving him the hateful stares the other monks used to. The three rested on the roof of a tall building, each enjoying anpan (sweet buns usually, and in this case, filled with red bean paste). Fu sat at the end of the roof, kicking her legs over the edge, Naruto beside her and Sora a ways back with his arm propped up on his leg.

Fu turned to the ninja monk. "So Sora, what do you think of our village so far?"

"Eh, it's a nice place. Seems peaceful, I think I'd rather live here than the temple." Sora replied.

"Then why not stay here once the mission's over?" Naruto asked and Sora looked up, his expression making it clear he'd never considered that.

Fu nodded. "Yeah, if you're unhappy there, I'm sure Chiriku would understand. Besides, it wouldn't hurt your dream of becoming one of the Guardian Ninja, or your dream of revenge, if you continue to pursue it."

Sora seemed to think of it for a moment before turning his head to the side and gazing at the village. "Maybe… "

"Well, it'd be nice having you around." Naruto said before turning to his girlfriend. "So, Fu, you've heard about my mission, but you haven't said anything about yours, how was it? I know how it ended from Grandma Tsunade, but how did you like working with Kurenai's team?"

"They seem all right." Fu said, not wanting to tell Naruto about Hinata. She was hoping the Hyuuga girl would see that she wasn't going to break them up herself, though she was prepared to be more forceful if it came to that. "It was nice working with someone with similar abilities over insects and Kiba was just like you described him." She grimaced as she recalled finding out about their sensei's book.

Naruto raised a brow at the look of Fu's face. "What is it?"

"I'll tell you later." Fu replied before the look faded. "Oh, yeah, and we talked a lot about how you were before we met." She then grinned mischievously. "And Kiba told me something interesting."

"Oh yeah? What?"

"How you won your prelim match during the Chunin Exams." Naruto paled as Fu's grin widened.

"… You're not going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Nope." Fu replied happily.

* * *

><p>Kakashi Hatake casually walked through the streets of a large town in the Land of Grass. It wasn't long before he reached his destination, a bar known for its many attractive waitresses. Just where one would expect to find Jiraiya of the Sannin.<p>

Stepping inside, he immediately found who he was looking for. The white haired man was sitting back on a couch, laughing heartily surrounded by women. The copy ninja sighed as he walked to the toad sage.

"Why am I not surprised to find you like this, Master Jiraiya?" the jonin inquired as he approached.

"Ah, don't be that way, Kakashi. I just got tired of waiting for you to get here. You wouldn't deny a man his fun, like my apprentices, now would you?" Jiraiya grinned. "Alright, ladies. As much as I wish it weren't so, I have business to take care of. Do me a favor and stay beautiful, ok?" Jiraiya said and the women said their farewells giggling. Soon, he was left alone with the jonin, who took a seat across from him.

"So, may I ask why you requested my aid? I take it something's come up?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, as you've probably already been told, the Akatsuki have pretty much gone back into hiding. Aside from one incident in the Land of Earth, they've gone off the radar again. I think Naruto's attack on their statue may have done more damage to them than we thought. In addition, it looks like they aren't just targeting the Biju anymore." Jiraiya said and Kakashi raised a brow. "Well, I guess it's no surprise. An organization does need money to run itself and what they're up to will weaken their enemies for whatever nefarious scheme they've got going."

"What do you mean?"

"The few sightings of Akatsuki members my contacts managed to get all had one thing in common - they were targeting ninja with high bounties."

Kakashi crossed his arms. "So, they weaken the villages and help fund their organization in one fell swoop. Are there any confirmed kills?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah, Kitsuchi of the Land of Earth."

The Sharingan wielder's eye widened. "The son of Onoki of Both Scales?"

The toad Sannin closed his eyes. "That's the one. It's a bad thing to celebrate someone's death, but to some degree, we should be grateful. Iwa's in an uproar about it. The old fence sitter's really getting on in years and he was the best candidate for Fourth Tsuchikage. To add insult to injury, up until they took Han: the Jinchuriki of the Gobi, Iwa was one of Akatsuki's most frequent employers. They're too busy focusing on that to connect Naruto to his father." Jiraiya stated as he took out a bingo book. "Speaking of bounty hunting, there's one target that fulfills both of their goals. That's going to be our job: Gathering any information on the Akatsuki's current actions and how long they're postponing their hunt for the Biju and locating him, if they haven't beaten us to it."

Kakashi took the book and saw it was on the page for Utakata, the Jinchuriki of the Rokubi. A missing nin with a bounty of 50 million on his head.

* * *

><p>Asuma looked out across the village, an unreadable expression on his face as he thought of what his student had just told him.<p>

"Kitane, Nauma, Tou, Seito…" Asuma spoke the name of his fallen comrades, recalling his days with the Twelve Ninja Guardians.

"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news." Shikamaru said and the jonin nodded. After a moment, Shikamaru voiced a question. "Was there anything special about those four? Anything that would make them a uniquely valuable target, other than the obvious?"

The former Guardian ninja closed his eyes as he considered all of the possibilities. "There's one reason I can think of… the ultimate secret jutsu of the Twelve Ninja Guardians: Limelight."

Shikamaru frowned. "Limelight?"

Asuma wore a grim expression as he thought of the jutsu. "It's a collaborative jutsu known only to those four, one of the most powerful and destructive lightning techniques of all time. Each of them would stand in one of the cardinal directions around a target. They then combine their lightning chakra, forming a mass of electricity powerful enough to annihilate everything between them."

Shikamaru's eyes widened before he took on an expression similar to his sensei's. "It's safe to assume that's what they were after."

"Yeah. But for what purpose?" Asuma mused before sighing. "Well, nothing we can do about it right now. So, the monk you brought back, who is he?"

"Kazuma's son, Sora."

Asuma looked a little surprised. "Sora." '_So, he was brought here._'

"I guess you want to meet him?" Shikamaru inquired.

"Yeah, I haven't seen him since he was a little kid. He probably doesn't even remember me." Asuma replied. "I wonder how he's grown."

"Did you know his father? Before his betrayal, I mean?"

Asuma looked to the sky. "Yeah. There was once a time when the twelve of us were close, as close as you are with Ino and Choji."

Shikamaru frowned. "What happened to make him turn out the way he did?"

Asuma closed his eyes before turning to his student. "Do you remember what I told you? About whom the king of Shogi is in real life?"

The lazy chunin raised a brow. "Yeah, finally going to tell me what it is?"

The jonin chuckled. "Afraid not, I want you to figure it out for yourself. Anyway, Kazuma and I used to play Shogi all the time and he adopted a similar analogy. Thing is, he believed that the 'king' was the leader you served. To be honest, that's what I thought back then too. He came to the conclusion that the Land of Fire had two kings: the Daimyo and the Hokage, and unlike the rest of us, who were content with the way things were and the will of the Daimyo, he felt that this division weakened our nation. That we would be better off if we were all united under one king. All his ambitions started with that belief."

* * *

><p>Another half an hour later, the pair of Jinchuriki and their Pseudo-Jinchuriki companion walked up a set of stairs along the way to their next site. The two had shown him around a lot of the village, enough for him to get around without getting lost. The sun was starting to set as they neared the top of the stairs.<p>

Fu looked to the setting sun, holding her hand above her eyes. "It's getting late. Let's show Sora Kikyo Castle, and then get something to eat and show him where we're staying."

"Sounds like a plan." Naruto replied. The two special jonin were looking forward to seeing the young ninja monk's reaction to their home. As they stepped onto the terrace, Sora raised a brow when he saw Akamaru sitting near a post.

"Hn, what's with the mangy mutt?" he asked, causing the dog to growl at him.

Fu began to say something when a voice yelled. "Hey! Who the hell are you and who told you it was ok to go around insulting dogs?" they turned to see an irate Kiba walking towards them.

"Oh, so you're his owner huh?" Sora inquired.

"Hang on a minute." Naruto interrupted, stepping between them and trying to defuse the situation. "Let's settle down. Kiba, this is Sora. He's a friend of ours from the Fire Temple."

"What? You're friends with this jerk?" Kiba asked incredulously.

"Che, look who's talking." Sora replied.

"What was that?" Kiba growled.

Fu sighed in exasperation and placed her palm to her forehead. "Can you guys calm down?"

"Hey, what's going on over here?" A bored voice called out. They turned to see Shikamaru and Choji, who was munching on a bag of potato chips, walk down the stairs.

The young monk tilted his head. "Shikamaru? Who's that fatass you've got with you?" Everyone froze.

After a moment, Naruto face palmed. "Damn it, Sora."

Choji trembled in anger. His hair hid his eyes and his teeth clenched as he tried to suppress his growing rage. "What… did you… just say?" Suddenly, he shot forward. Sora's eyes widened as the Akimichi clan heir rapidly approached, his fist reared back. "I'M BIG BONED AND THE REST IS ALL MUSCLE!" He roared. Sora jumped out of the way at the last second, his fist harmlessly passing through the air as the young monk landed in the branch of a nearby tree.

Sora grinned excitedly as he raised his hands in a fighting stance. "Oh, so it's a fight you want, huh? Well bring it on!"

Choji leapt after him as Kiba and Akamaru rushed forward to join them. "Save some for us, Choji!"

Naruto, Fu and Shikamaru watched as the two chunin, the ninja hound and the monk in training began fighting. A few accidental or redirected strikes later, and the three on one battle became a free for all. Fu shook her head and closed her eyes. "Somehow I knew something like this would happen…"

Naruto chuckled slightly as he watched the brawl. "Maybe it's better this way. Kiba and Sora are both hot blooded people. A fight's probably the best way for them to connect, and Choji's quick to forgive once he calms down. Besides, it's pretty entertaining, as long as no one gets hurt."

Fu gave a short laugh. "Yeah, guess you're right."

The couple and Shikamaru turned their heads as they sensed a presence and saw Asuma approaching them. "Hey guys." The jonin said. "Yeesh… how'd this happen."

"Our pal Sora's a little… anti-social." Naruto answered. "He's alright once you get to know him and he's actually better than when we first met him, but he can still be a bit confrontational."

"I can see that." Asuma commented as he watched Akamaru bite Sora's foot. The monk in training responded by slamming his elbow into the dog's head, forcing it to let go before ducking under a punch from Choji, spinning on his heel and kicking him in the chest, sending him staggering back. The young monk then blocked a punch from Kiba before the Inuzuka kneed him in the stomach. As staggered back, Choji returned and tried to clothesline both the other teens, who ducked under his attack. Kiba jumped back and crouched down, Akamaru leapt onto his back and both transformed, Kiba became more feral while his K-9 partner transformed into a copy of him. The two identical combatants shot forward, blitzing their adversaries. "We should probably just wait for them to fight it out."

"That's what we were thinking. Though, I think it's starting to get out of hand…" Fu stated.

Naruto turned his head, noticing a presence speeding towards them. "Not yet, but it will be in a minute."

Before anyone could ask what he meant, an energetic voice called out. "WHO DECIDED TO FORGE BONDS OF COMRADESHIP IN A MIGHTY MEETING OF FISTS AND FORGOT TO INVITE ROCK LEE?"

"Oh no." Fu face palmed as the taijutsu expert bounded across several buildings before jumping into the fray. She heard her boyfriend laughing and turned to him. "Stop laughing, it's not funny."

"You have to admit, it is a little." The blond held his stomach.

Asuma sighed as Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head. "Troublesome. Throw in another hot blooded guy like that, and this is bound to get serious in a few minutes." The lazy chunin assessed.

Fu watched in slight disbelief of how fast this escalated as Lee unleashed a Severe Leaf Hurricane on Kiba. "Yeah, let's do something before this goes too far."

Asuma grinned as he turned to the female Jinchuriki. "How nice of you to volunteer."

Fu shot the jonin a look before Naruto spoke up. "I'll help. Let's get this over with, Fu." Fu nodded before Naruto sprang into action.

The blond vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing between the four, much to their shock. He caught Sora and the real Kiba's punches with his hands and spun, throwing Sora to the side and Kiba into his transformed dog. He continued spinning as he ducked under a punch from Choji and kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling back. Lee was in mid air, bringing his heel down towards the blond, but Naruto retaliated by swiping his hand, unleashing a powerful wave of wind that sent the taijutsu expert flying back, landing on his feet and skidding across the ground. before he could even come to a stop, orbs of water began to gather in the air around the five combatants.

"Water Style: Gushing Water Imprisonment!" The orbs of water quickly converged on the four chunin and the Ninja monk, who quickly found themselves trapped, suspended in orbs of water and unable to move.

"Glad that's over." Naruto began. "Now…"

Moments later, the group was standing together except for Kiba, who was on the ground, holding his head as a large lump grew on it. "Why'd you only hit me?"

Naruto crossed his arms with a victorious expression. "That was for telling Fu about our prelim match." He said as Kiba picked himself off of the ground.

Asuma looked down at the teens. "Well, now that we've all calmed down, how about we celebrate this 'meeting of fists' with some barbeque?" as Kiba and Choji cheered, Akamaru barked happily and Sora grinned, the Sarutobi turned to the two special jonin. "Now, since you two have the biggest bank account…"

Fu held up her hand. "Stop right there, Captain Asuma." She said before grinning as she took sweet revenge. "You're the one who suggested the idea. That means you volunteered, right?"

Asuma's shoulders slumped as he realized he'd have to pay for all of this himself.

* * *

><p>The former Guardian Ninja took the group to Yakiniku Q, the barbeque restaurant frequented by Team Ten, Akamaru joining them in his transformed state. The group sat on cushions around a table with two charcoal braziers, watching their meal cook and talking amongst themselves. Asuma and Akamaru sat at the ends of the table. On one side sat Naruto, Fu, Shikamaru and Choji while Sora, on the other<p>

"So, how's Chiriku doing?" Fu asked her boyfriend.

"He's doing good, just the same as ever. He took what happened well, considering…" he trailed off, frowning at the table as the events of the mission ran through his mind. His gaze snapped to the green haired girl's face when she placed her hand on his arm.

"Don't beat yourself up about it. From what Shikamaru told me, there wasn't anything you could have done." Fu said reassuringly.

Naruto sighed, closing his eyes. "I know… still…"

Asuma turned to Sora. "You handled yourself pretty well back there. Did Chiriku teach you to fight like that?"

Sora looked down at the cooking food. "No, Lord Chiriku is too important to bother with me. I trained myself."

"Really? You got that good on your own?" Asuma inquired and Sora said nothing.

"Yeah, you should see some of the things he can do with wind chakra. He taught me one of my best wind jutsu." Naruto interjected, Sora gave a brief smile at the praise.

"Is that so? You'll have to show me sometime. I'm a wind user myself." Asuma stated.

"Too bad about his weapon though." Naruto added.

Asuma raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

The blond Jinchuriki elaborated. "Sora had this triple bladed claw, but it was broken during the fight."

Fu looked surprised to hear that. "One of the enemies broke the claw your father left you?" she asked the blue haired teen who looked slightly dejected. "Don't worry, we'll find someone who can fix them."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, but I don't know anyone in the village who can. I'm sure Tenten would know someone though."

"Let me take care of it." Asuma spoke up and the three looked to him. "I know a blacksmith who can handle it and it's no trouble."

The young monk smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." The former guardian replied. The group enjoyed their meals for a few minutes before Sora spoke up again, unable to keep himself from asking any longer.

"Asuma…" The young monk began and the jonin looked up. "My father was Kazuma, did you know him?"

Asuma paused for a moment before replying. "Yeah, I did. But if it's alright with you, I'd like to save that discussion for later, ok?"

Sora stared at the table for a moment before looking back to the jonin. "Just tell me… please… Why did he die? I always heard about all the terrible things he did… none of it's true, is it?"

Everyone turned to the young monk, with various expressions, ranging from curiosity to sympathy, before Asuma spoke. "Sora, know that your father died for what he believed in. No matter what the circumstances, he died for honor, as he saw it."

Sora gave him a thankful look, wearing a smile holding both joy and relief from those words. Shikamaru and Naruto noted how Asuma had chosen his words, reassuring Sora while not truly answering the question, all three knowing the young monk was probably better off not knowing.

"Hey, Asuma, how's Kurenai doing?" Fu asked. "Her team's a little worried about her."

"Really?" Naruto raised a brow at the sole member of Team Kurenai present.

Kiba's eyes narrowed as he looked back to his food. "Yeah, she hasn't been on any missions or team meetings for a while, and there's something different about her I can't put my finger on…"

Naruto smirked as he glanced at Asuma. "Come on, Asuma, you two are close. Very close even, you should know what's going on. Or are you two in trouble?"

Asuma managed to hide the shock from the fact that Naruto had just hit the nail on the head and quickly dodged the question. "Do you really have time to be worried about me, Naruto?"

Naruto raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Kakashi told me an interesting nugget about one of Jiraiya's latest books and the main characters, Nakuro and Shu." The jonin began. Fu's head shot up when she heard that. "If you two don't take it easy, you'll probably be the ones in trouble." Kiba chuckled and Fu blushed slightly while Naruto looked confused. '_Sorry Master Jiraiya, but better you than me._'

"What are you talking about? What's the Pervy Sage's book got to do with us?"

"What do you mean? You know, your sensei…" Kiba began, trailing off when he saw the look on Fu's face, "… You didn't tell him yet, did you?"

Fu gave him a slightly irritated look. She'd wanted as few people to know about this as possible. "I was going to wait until we got home."

"What are you talking about? And what's this about sensei's book?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto…" Fu started. "You remember how Jiraiya forced us to read one of his most recent books but was always evasive when we asked about that other one?"

"Yeah." Naruto grumbled. "I still can't believe he threatened to withhold jutsu if we didn't read his trashy novel."

"Yeah, well during my last mission, Kiba brought it up and I found out why he always avoided talking about the other." After a sigh, the green haired Jinchuriki continued. "He based the main characters in his other book on us."

Everyone watched silently, expecting Naruto to yell in outrage, instead, he was silent for a few moments before giving Fu a disbelieving stare. "Fu, you're not serious, are you?"

Fu reached into her pocket and pulled out Kiba's book, placing her hand on her forehead as the anger from the revelation returned to the forefront of her mind. "Take a look for yourself."

Naruto calmly took the book and read it, his face displaying no emotion as he quickly scanned the pages. After a few moments, he closed his eyes, shut the book and passed it to Kiba, who would have been happy to get it back were it not for the situation. Fu looked slightly concerned at her boyfriend's lack of response. "Are you ok?"

Naruto opened his eyes and turned to his girlfriend. "Hm? Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" he asked, but everyone noticed how, for a brief moment, his eyes had been red with slit pupils. He then gave Fu a grin. "Hey, Fu. I think we should do something nice for Jiraiya-sensei."

The green haired girl looked slightly surprised to hear that. "What?"

Naruto's grin became a smile. "Yeah, he could really use a vacation, don't you think? Some place he could just sleep forever, like the top of a mountain or the somewhere in the ocean. We could even ask Grandma Tsunade to help with arranging it."

Fu caught onto what he was saying and grinned evilly. "I like it. Maybe we could…"

"Shh… not in front of witnes- I mean, others. We wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for him." The blond interrupted before he looked around the table. "We can trust you guys, right?

"Yeah, you wouldn't even think of telling him, would you?" Fu asked with a sickly sweet smile.

Their questions were answered with collective nods and assurances that they wouldn't speak of it, causing Naruto's smile to widen. "Great! Let's talk about it when we get home."

* * *

><p>Kakashi and Jiraiya were looking for an inn to stay in when Jiraiya suddenly stopped and shivered.<p>

"Something wrong, Master Jiraiya?" The copy ninja inquired.

"I don't know… I feel as if someone just walked over my grave…"

* * *

><p>By the time the group finished their meal, night had fallen over the village. They said their goodbyes and headed home. Soon, the two special jonin and the ninja monk reached the compound shared by the two Jinchuriki. Sora looked on, his mouth hanging open slightly as he watched Naruto open the gate. The blond and his fellow Jinchuriki smirked as they saw the look on Sora's face.<p>

"We're here. What do you think of our home?" Fu asked.

"You two live here?" Sora's voice was full of bewilderment as he spoke. "How could you possibly afford this?"

"Remember the Hokage? Well, she's a distant relative of mine. In face, we're both the last living members of our clans. For that, and a few other reasons, she gave me a discount. This is her family's old home." Naruto explained.

"Why would she sell it?" The blue haired teen inquired as they stepped through the gates. "I mean, I could see letting you have a place here, but the whole compound?"

"Well, she doesn't really have a use for it, and…" Fu blushed slightly before she continued. "I think it was in case he decides to revive his clan."

Sora smirked. "Oh, she expecting you two to have a big family, I take it? Any plans on getting a head start on that?" he teased, Causing Fu's face to flush deeper and Naruto's face to redden as well. "So, where am I going to stay?"

The orange eyed Jinchuriki waved her hand. "Just pick a place. Anywhere you want, though you should stick to the ones along the central path. We fixed them up, but we barely touched the rest since we won't need all this space. If you pick any of the others, you're going to have to work on it."

The ninja monk looked around before gesturing towards the clan head's mansion with a grin. "Can I pick that one?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Very funny. Once you've picked one, come to the clan head's place. There's something we need to talk about." Sora nodded and began inspecting a nearby building as the young couple headed to their home.

As the two made their way to their dwelling, Fu turned to Naruto and asked, "So, what is it we need to talk about with Sora?"

Naruto sighed. "I found out a lot during the mission. Some things he needs to know, some things he's better off not hearing about if he doesn't have to."

Fu looked quizzical. "Like what?"

"What his father did. Sora's old man, Kazuma, led five of the other members of the Guardians in an attempted coup for his vision of peace." Fu looked shocked at that. "And… I found out he's more like us than we thought… I'll tell you everything inside."

Half an hour later, the young monk had chosen a dwelling and came to the clan head's mansion as instructed. The three gathered in a room in the back of the mansion, the shoji doors open to give them a view of the garden. They sat on tatami mats, Naruto and Fu together and Sora across from them.

"Alright, Sora, you know why I brought you back to the village with us?" Naruto asked.

Sora looked slightly confused but nodded. "Yeah, it's because Sai got injured and you needed a replacement, right?"

Naruto closed his eyes. "Yeah… that's part of it, but to be honest, that was just an excuse."

Sora seemed surprised to hear that and Fu continued for Naruto. "Sora, during your battle, do you remember that power you drew upon when fighting the grave robber? What exactly happened?"

The ninja monk winced before retelling those moments of the fight. "He slammed his fingers into my stomach… he didn't say the name of the jutsu, but I could see visible chakra at his fingertips. Next thing I know… my arm changed." He frowned as he stared at his right arm. He normally wouldn't have revealed this, but he trusted the two before him.

Both Jinchuriki looked worried at that. "What do you mean it changed?" Naruto voiced the question both had on their minds.

After a moment, Sora answered. "I could only describe it as demonic… it was red with claws and covered in spikes. When it changed this power surged through me… it was unlike anything I've ever felt before." The two Jinchuriki exchanged glances, the concerned expressions on their faces gave Sora no comfort. It was then that something occurred to the blue haired teen. "Wait… is… is that why you brought me to this village?"

Naruto sighed. "In a way." After a moment he continued. "Sora, during your fight, I sensed your chakra changed. I was able to identify this power you have."

Shock was evident on the ninja monk's features. "You… you know what it is?"

Naruto nodded, pausing for a moment before finally stating, "It's the power of the Biju sealed inside me… it's chakra from the Nine Tailed Demon Fox."

Sora gasped, visibly stunned by the revelation. "What… what did you say?"

"Yeah… looks like we have more in common than we thought." Fu said. "Sora you're what's known as a Pseudo-Jinchuriki. Someone who possesses the chakra of a Biju."

"That's the power that caused the incident when you were younger. Considering that he knew about it and how to draw it out, it's most likely these grave robbers were the ones who sealed the chakra into you, in the first place."

"Tha… that's…" Sora closed his eyes, beginning to tremble with rage as he recalled the scarred grave robber and his words. "That bastard!" he slammed his hand into the tatami mat, tearing it as he right hand transformed again, ripping the bandages covering his arm apart, much to the Jinchuriki's shock. "All that bull about being blessed with power! I knew he was full of crap! But…" he calmed down, breathing heavily as raised the demonic claw his hand had become and looked at it. "I never thought…" he said before snarling, clenching it as the wind began to surge around them. All the glares from the other monks, the bitterness, the sorrow and uncertainty flashed through his mind. "He ruined my life! And I bet all that talk about knowing my father was just more of his lies!"

The couple was surprised to hear that the scarred man had claimed to know Sora's father. Naruto frowned, deciding that Sora had had enough time to vent. "Sora, calm down." The monk in training's eyes turned to him. "Biju chakra responds to anger and negative emotions. That's why your arm transformed. You need calm yourself down."

It took Sora a moment to see what he was doing, after which he took a deep breath and did his best to calm himself as the wind died down. Soon enough, his arm returned to normal.

"Sora… what did the grave robber tell you?" Fu inquired.

"He told me I'd been blessed with an amazing power. That he planned to use the remains he stole for the Land of Fire and that he knew my father." The monk snarled before looking at the torn mat before him, all the rage finally leaving his system. "Why… did you bring me here?"

"To protect you." Naruto answered.

"Those grave robbers who turned you into a Pseudo-Jinchuriki… they obviously have something planned for you. Then there's the Akatsuki. We've already told you they're after the power of the Biju. They may decide the piece of the Kyuubi's power you have is worth taking. Even if you'd be safe from the grave robbers there, Akatsuki is more than capable of destroying the temple to get to you." Fu explained.

"I see…" Sora said weakly.

"Sora." Naruto began. "Like it or not, you have to deal with this. What do you want to do with this knowledge?"

"… Is it possible for you to remove this power from me?"

"We don't know… when the Biju is removed from its host, the Jinchuriki dies, but you're not a real Jinchuriki. We don't know what kind of effect extracting that chakra would have on you." Naruto replied.

Sora was silent for a few moments before speaking up again. "My arm… it's not supposed to do that, is it?"

Fu shook her head. "No… I think the chakra's been merged with your cells… That makes extracting it safely even less likely." After a pause, she continued. "Sora, think about all of this and decide what you want to do. We'll inspect your seal to see if we can extract the chakra or help you control it better in the morning, alright?"

Sora nodded before excusing himself.

"Sora." Naruto called out and the monk turned to face him. "Don't forget you're not alone here."

"We're your friends, and we've been through the same thing you have. And I'm sure you'll make more friends as long as you don't shut everyone out. Give the people here a chance." Fu added.

Sora gave them a soft smile. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>An hour later, Naruto sat at on the edge of the first floor roka, looking out on his garden. He stared out, looking at the moons reflection in the pond.<p>

Now that all the excitement had died down, his mind returned to the mission. This had been the first official mission he'd led where anything had happened, and he'd failed. He knew that it was simply too late for them to protect the tombs, but he still wondered if there was something he could have done to retrieve the bodies or keep a member of his team from being injured.

He sensed Fu approach him from behind and turned to her as she came close.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Fu asked with a small smile. Despite her words, the orange eyed Jinchuriki wasn't looking at the night sky, but at the blond before her. Naruto gave a small nod, barely registering what she said as if his mind was a million miles away. Concerned by her boyfriend's silence, she asked, "Naruto, what's bothering you?"

Naruto closed his eyes and smiled, turning to the garden and trying to hide his troubles. He felt slightly ashamed about the outcome of the mission and didn't want to worry her. "It's nothing, Fu. Don't worry about it." Naruto heard her take a few steps closer and opened his eyes as he felt her wrap her arms around him from behind.

"Naruto, you know I can tell when something's been troubling you." She spoke, her mouth close to his ear. He turned his head to see her face and saw the concern in her orange orbs. "You don't have to try and hide it from me, you know that. If you really don't want to tell me, I won't push you, but I'm here for you."

The blond sighed, seeing that he was worrying her anyway. "…This was the first serious official mission I've led. The first time I've had an objective beyond defeating or capturing an opponent and I blew it. They got away with Asuma and Chiriku's comrades and I couldn't do anything to stop them."

Fu released her hold and sat next to him, placing her hand on his arm. "Is that all?" the green haired Jinchuriki asked. "Something like that wouldn't bother you normally. They'll be back and you'll get them next time. Besides, if you had made a strategic mistake, you know Shikamaru would have said something. What's really making you feel this way?"

Naruto closed his eyes, finally relenting. "… I led this mission and Sai got injured, and I doubt they really intended to take him, so they got whatever they wanted from Sora. I was their leader and I wasn't able to protect them." He turned to her. "What kind of Hokage can I be if I fail to protect those precious to me? What if that was the Akatsuki and you were the one that was injured or even worse? I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I failed to save you like I failed to save Sasuke." he muttered, his voice barely a whisper at the frightening thoughts, while his gaze turned downward.

Fu understood all too well. She could see the fear in his eyes. In truth, sometimes she had the same fears. She wasn't scared for her safety, rather that of her boyfriend. She couldn't bear the thought of being thrown back into a world without him, like the hell she had been in before they had met. Yet, whenever she felt uneasy, whenever those nightmarish thoughts would plague her mind, she always found comfort in him. Fu firmly believed that together, they would be able to face and overcome any hardships. And this was a moment where she needed to give him the same comfort he always provided her, just with his presence.

The green-haired girl lifted her hand and placed it on his cheek, bringing his gaze back up. "You've already saved me, Naruto. Ever since we met at Taki, you've become my support. You're thinking like everything's on you. You told me that we trust each other with our lives. Don't forget that I'm here for you, that I'll protect you as you protect me. You don't have to endure all the hardships and burdens alone." At this Fu leaned in and captured his lips in a gentle kiss. After a brief moment she separated from the stunned blond and placed her forehead to his.

"You've given me so much. Growing up in Taki, I had never thought I'd feel the way you make me feel… that I would care for someone and be cared for. That I would love someone as much as I love you. That's why I'm making my own promise of a lifetime, right here, right now." The girl gently caressed his cheek as she continued. "Whatever happens, I will always be by your side. No matter what obstacles stand in our way, we'll overcome them together."

Unable to say anything coherent, Naruto did the only sensible thing his still shocked mind could come up with at the time. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a passionate kiss. Her words had struck a chord in his heart. They were something he had wanted to hear for many years and were something he would never get tired of listening to. Fu's arm wrapped around his neck as his other arm reached around her and buried his fingers in her hair and deepening the kiss.

Fu felt his tongue lick her lips and opened her mouth, letting her tongue join his. Fu gave a few quiet moans as they continued their duel of the mouths, tightening their holds on one another as they were overwhelmed by the passion. All too soon for the pair of Jinchuriki, their lungs protested and they were forced to separate, both breathing heavily while they lost themselves in each other's eyes.

As Naruto stared into his girlfriend's beautiful orange pools, he could see the same emotions he felt burning in them. All the unease and doubt he'd felt melted away from her words, her comforting presence and the warmth in her gaze and smile. His heart gripped in his chest as he opened his mouth and made an attempt to put the feelings that had been raging in his mind so long into words, "I love you, Fu."

Fu pressed her forehead to his again as she caught her breath, her heart skipping a beat from the happiness that Naruto shared her feelings. She could see the passion, the love in his eyes. But there was something else, none of the uncertainty that had plagued them, hidden from all but those who knew him best, was present in those cerulean orbs. "Mmm… Now that's my Naruto."

The blond's smile became a smirk. "'Your Naruto' huh?"

Fu grinned playfully at her boyfriend. "That's right, and don't you forget it." her expression then changed into a warm smile. "You're my Naruto."

Naruto returned her look. "And you're my Fu." The pair reclaimed each other's lips and shared a tender kiss. After a few moments, she spoke up again. "I think you deserve a reward, wait here." The green-haired girl stood up and quickly went back inside their home, returning moments later with a bowl of pork ramen.

"Wow... You just keep amazing me tonight." Naruto shook his head in bewilderment.

"Not so fast, wait until you've tried it." Fu smirked.

The blond yelled "Itadakimasu" and took a bite from the dish of Gods, before his eyes shot open "You made this? It tastes just like..."

"Ichiraku." his girlfriend finished for him. Fu finished for him with a smile. "I managed to convince them to show me the recipe, though I had to promise we'd still come by and eat there." '_and invest in the business…_' "I wanted to surprise you with your favorite. So, how is it?"

"Incredible. Even better knowing my girlfriend learned to make my favorite food just to surprise me. Have I told you how lucky I am to be with you?"

Fu giggled before responding, "Yeah, and I always tell you I'm the lucky one."

* * *

><p>The four grave robbers gathered on a cliff overlooking a village that lied in the center of a valley, surrounded by water and five waterfalls. All except Fuka, who sat on a rock, stood as they surveyed their next target, smirking as the analyzed the clan's defenses.<p>

"One, two, three… at a glance, it looks like about thirty." Fuen counted the guards.

"Yeah, give or take." Fudo confirmed.

"This ones different. We're destroying a village of the Kohaku clan, one of the fiercest shinobi in the Land of Fire." Fuka said as she stood. "This one's-" she licked her lips in anticipation. "-special. No one gets out alive."

Fudo chuckled. "Right."

"The ones before, they were only mere diversions." Fuen began before turning to the others. "But not this one. Finally."

"Oh, if you come across any with the wind or lightning nature, save them for me, alright." Fuka requested, placing a finger to her cheek daintily. She still needed to replace two of the three bodies she lost.

Furido inhaled deeply before projecting his voice across the valley so all the Kohaku clan could hear it. "Attention, Kohaku clan! This night will be the last you will ever see! But I promise you, your sacrifice will help to protect the Land of Fire for all eternity, and for that you have our thanks! Thank you!" The scarred man turned his back on the doomed village and gave the order to his followers. "Do it."

The three subordinate grave robbers leapt towards the village. Furido didn't bother to look back as he reached into his robe and pulled out a baked sweet potato. He held it before him for a moment before biting into it as the earth tore open across the village and a symphony of destruction and chaos emanated throughout the valley.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it. Please review.<strong>


	18. notice

**It's been quite a while since this story's seen an update, hasn't it? I apologize to all you fans of this fic for that.**

**In case you haven't read the author note of my other fic, Naruto: Jinchuriki of the Six Paths, I've decided to rewrite this fic for multiple reasons, many of which I explained in the aforementioned author note. If you need a refresher, I feel that I made Naruto and Fuu too strong, that my writing's improved greatly and the first chapters could be better, and that I skipped too much character development. In addition, I'm hoping the new version will not only be much improved, but also more serious. **

**For fans of the original, I'll be leaving this version up, but it will no longer be updated.**

**The remake is called: Naruto: Legends of Two Jinchuriki, and the first chapter is out. I hope you enjoy the new version even more than you did the original.**


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